


The Real World

by 100yardstare



Category: Wreck-It Ralph (Movies)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe, Angst, Basically this is an Epic multi-chapter story that has everything in it lol, Death, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, POV First Person, Philosophy, Science Fiction, Sequel, Slow Burn, also lowkey a Tron: Legacy crossover, tons of video game easter eggs and cameos, turbo redemtion arch as it goes on
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-18
Updated: 2020-07-15
Packaged: 2021-03-02 21:41:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 23
Words: 151,786
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24243730
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/100yardstare/pseuds/100yardstare
Summary: Technology reached a new level when my brother, and his team of programmers, found a way to travel to the world of games. Being the first "User" to ever enter the arcade was supposed to be a wondrous step for humanity. However, what comes in can also get out, and I've just opened a door for a monster, with a massive Cy-bug army, who seeks the spotlight and control of mankind.✧This is a reposing from my FanFiction.net account from 2014/2015. Another self-insert because *Treat-yo-Self*
Relationships: King Candy | Turbo (Disney)/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 20
Kudos: 15





	1. New Game Launch.(exe)

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for clicking on my fic!
> 
> This fic is rated T for mild language and violence. Later chapters will have graphic depictions of death.
> 
> Back in 2014, I started writing my very first fic to show my love for the movie Wreck-It Ralph, but over the years it would soon become my love letter to video games in entirety. It was meant to take place a YEAR after the events of the first film (headcannoned late 2013/early 2014), and act as a direct sequel, but with the release of WIR2, it's now officially an AU.
> 
> I hope you enjoy! Any and all comments and thoughts are welcome.

Every now and again the silence of the office would be overtaken by ringing phones. The casual, yet intimidating sound of my coworker's voice would answer after three rings, but as soon as the conversation ended with a client, the room fell back into a deep and utterly deprived silence. When work was slow, it could be like this for hours without anything to do. To waste time I'd just sit there and watch the computer scan, or play with my phone, but completely trying to escape the madness of isolation was inevitable.

I was just like a majority of everyone else. I lived the daily routine of waking up at 6:30 AM on the dot, and fought my way through traffic to end up at a job that left me more empty than it gave me a sense of accomplishment. What little work I did have was typing up projects onto the computer for the engineers, but the process was incredibly repetitive and I found myself daydreaming all the time. I started shutting myself off from the world, only answering to people who spoke to me.

Although outwardly I'd think of myself as just an Intern, a college student and a typical twenty-two year old, whose only intention in life was to hook a decent job, make good money and live the American Dream, inwardly I was quite the opposite. When I retreated into my fantasies I could be whatever I wanted. A traveler, a Jedi Knight, a Pokemon Trainer, and whatever else my mind threw at me at my moments of boredom. I found myself expressing these things on paper, whether it be in the form of poetry or stories...even video games. However, no matter how long I stayed, no matter how long I held onto those last few moments of midnight dreaming, the dawn always came. See, the thing about imagination is that you have to leave it; you can't stay forever. After that it was back to studies, work and whatever obligation I had now that I was considered an 'adult'. That's the real world for you, I guess.

An hour and a half of this mindlessness whizzed by without my knowing when my own phone began to ring. Looking down, as if desperate to find something to put my mind on, I quickly noticed that it was my younger brother on incoming. It struck me odd that he'd be calling me in the middle of the day like this. In comparison to myself, he had far more friends and interests, and had even proven to be more involved than I ever was with college and the many clubs and meetings that were available on campus. Last I had heard, as a-matter-of-fact, he had joined some sort of robotics club; they were doing something about programming a robot to throw stuff, I'm not really sure. Although it had been a long time since I've last heard from him and the process of the club, I did hear that they had been exploring other forms of technology in their academic research.

"Hello?" I didn't even realize I had lifted the phone to my ear when I spoke. Being mindless all day can lead to consequences like that.

"Kailey, oh my God!" my brother called. By the high pitched sound of his voice I could tell he was exited. "You're not going to believe this! You need to meet me ASAP. You know how I joined that robotics club, right? Remember when I said I was getting involved in some of the engineering and programming research, and all that?"

"You mean the one that builds robots that throw crap?" I bluntly responded.

"Yeah! Well, that's one of them. But since I last talked to you we haven't just been focusing on robots. We've actually built a way to place ourselves into a virtual reality!"

"Slow down, you mean as in gaming wise?" I perked up immediately. I could imagine playing iconic games over again like _Metroid_ and _Mario Kart_ , only this time I was the one behind the helmet; I could be the one driving the go-karts on Rainbow Road.

"You have no idea. We came across some old files from some guy in the 80's who came up with the concept. His name was Flynn or something. Anyway! We tried replicating it and now are in the process of testing it. I want you to be there."

"You want _me_ to be there?" I couldn't help but place a hand on my chest. I could feel the excitement growing, then suddenly just as it came, I frowned. "Wait bro, am I really supposed to believe you were involved in recreating a serious leap in gaming technology? You're lying to me."

"Am not!" he cried, "I'm for real, just meet me at this location. I'll send you the address through text. The team rented out an arcade called Litwak's. The guy was nice enough to lend it to us after hours."

I found myself rolling my eyes. As breathtaking as it sounded I learned never to get my hopes up. "Whatever you say, bro," I responded. I then pulled the cell from my ear and stared down at it.

The clock struck 2:00 PM.

* * *

Staring up at the flashy sign of the arcade, I didn't even notice my brother's truck driving up beside me. Below on the dash of my car, the clock struck 4:00 PM. Although the drive had been a long one I didn't even remember getting here. My mind had been elsewhere again, dreaming and imagining what was to come. Virtual reality, at least in the terms my brother was considering, sounded so farfetched that I didn't even believe it was happening. I was so used to experiencing _normal_ things to understand or grasp a concept like this. It was one thing just to imagine something, but to feel it for yourself was on an incredibly different level. I tried tearing myself away from thinking about it and to at least get my feet out of the car. My brother was already at the side of my door by the time the car unlocked.

"Come, hurry! Follow me!" He rushed as he tried grabbing my arm.

"Get off of me, yo!" I cried out of irritability. "I'm still trying to get myself to accept what's going on. I mean, do you realize what kind of difference this is going to make? Not only are you bringing gaming to a whole new scale, but you're also going to change lives!"

"No talk, follow now!" My brother interrupted me before I could continue my awe struck sentence. Because he was probably ten times stronger than me, my brother yanked my arm and I flew out of the car and to a standing position. "Ow!" I gasped aloud, but it didn't seem to matter. At that point all I had time for was to press the lock button on my keys, and follow him.

Taking in my surroundings as I proceeded towards the building was all a blur due to the rush, but I could plainly see the sign on the arcades door. "And why are we here so early? I thought you said we rented the arcade after it was closed?" I spat out as a way to attempt to get my brother to slow down.

"You need to see the place in action," my brother responded. "I wanted to check out and show you all the games. That way if there was something you wanted to play, I could put you in the game."

My brother proceeded to push the door open, and quickly the silent sound of the parking lot was filled with different kinds of sounds and voices from all kinds of genres of video games. As the colors of the screens brought a soft light to my body, I began to become nostalgic. I wasn't born in the 80's, a precious decade of big hair, rock-and-roll, and arcade games like this, but I always imagined it was a good time to live. I asked my parents often how it was like, and usually they responded simply yet happily that they were 'good times'. Thinking about it, as I was basking in the moment, I hadn't even set foot in an arcade since my brother was only a kid in high school. That had to have been at least four or five years ago, but it still felt just as real, and became even more real as I stood there.

"Games have come a long way in arcades," my brother said. "They have a cool new first person shooter called _Hero's Duty_ now, but that's not all. Just the other day the guy that owns this place put Xbox 360s and Play Station 3s in here... Nintendo's, you name it. He got a good deal on the older systems or something, so now you can play arcade versions of pretty much anything."

"Well, come on! What else is there?" I exclaimed rather joyfully. I could feel the weight of work, and any homework I needed to do slip off of my consciousness like snow melting off a hot rooftop. I was beginning to know why my brother had been so happy about this initially.

Scanning the arcade, I tried to pinpoint interesting titles that I was familiar with. There were the classic games, like _Pac Man_ and _Frogger_ , and some newer games that had made their appearance due to the updated software that had been added to the arcade itself, like _Portal 2_ and _Halo_. However, there were also games that I had never heard of before. There was a racing title called _Sugar Rush_ whose game-play reminded me a lot of _Mario Kart_ , and another called _Fix-It Felix Jr._ whose formula seemed familiar on its own.

"This guy sure has a collection, doesn't he?" I mustered.

"Excuse me, can I help you two?" An older man approached us as he adjusted his glasses that set lightly on the top of his nose.

My brother was the first to turn towards him, extending a hand professionally as he introduced himself. "Hello! I'm Dannen, part of the robotics club and research team that's renting out your arcade," said my brother. "And this is my sister, Kailey. She's here to check things out. She's an...advisor of the team, if you will."

"Ah, it's nice to finally meet you in person! I'm Mr. Litwak, the owner of this place," Litwak exclaimed giddily. "Please feel free to look around at your leisure and play whatever you want. I'm very excited to hear how your testing goes tonight. Virtual reality will surely bring in more customers. Although I've kept this business up until now, kids don't seem to like arcades like they used to."

"I completely understand," Dannen responded, "and thank you! we'll be sticking around for a while to play some of the games, and after the arcade closes, we'll get to work."

"Terrific!" Mr. Litwak responded cheerfully. "Please let me know if there is anything I can do for you."

"Will do," Dannen responded with a nod. Mr. Litwak smiled back and proceeded down the aisles of games.

* * *

After a few hours of playing around and getting to know the consoles, the arcade finally came to a close. The customers departed, but despite the lack of people around, the arcade felt just as alive as it did during the day. Lights continued to flicker, music continued to play, and characters continued to do what they did.

"All right, the place is all yours!" Mr. Litwak called, his voice quite strange in comparison to the games around us. "The keys are on the desk, so if you leave please lock up. I'll be back tomorrow."

"See you later, Mr. Litwak," my brother responded, and with a chime of the door the old man disappeared into the parking lot.

This was it. I took a look around at the walls and at the front desk just below the ceiling. The clock hanging had just turned 8:30 PM.

"Okay, follow me," said Dannen, and began towards the back. I followed him to a black door at the far right-hand corner of the arcade. Upon arriving to it I watched him mess with the lock and then open it. It was dark until he switched on the lights, and that's when I could see a short staircase leading to some sort of basement. We walked down its steps and came to the bottom, and that's where I saw it. The machine was huge, and covered in controls. At its center was some sort of camera that reminded me of a wacky form of security interface.

"Okay, Kailey, I need you to stand right in front of the gun," my brother said as he scurried over to the controls in front of a new and fancy computer, taking a seat in front of it as confident as a pilot was at his cockpit.

I looked over at the camera that I had spotted initially, but this time a bit more nervously. "A gun? What the hell are you going to do, shoot me?" I asked nervously.

"Well I have to transfer you into the system," Dannen responded as he clicked in a couple codes which caused the gun to move. "It won't hurt, I promise." A smile seemed to consume his expression as he said that, which didn't help.

I became flustered as I stomped a foot on the floor. "I thought you were going to put a helmet on my head or something! You didn't mention that you were literally going to _teleport_ me into the games! That's like like Matrix shit!"

"I told you this was amazing! At this point I'd thought you'd understand why I was so excited about all of this!" Dannen called out. "I'm going to transfer your entire being into the system that connects you to all the games in the arcade. However, I don't know where the portal will open, so that's why I spent the last two-and-a-half hours letting you get to know the games."

"The hell?!" I shouted. "I'm not sure about this."

"Just do it!" Dannen yelled again. His excitement was getting the best of him. At that point I didn't know if I could back down. He had taken all the time to get me here, so refusing an offer like this would have been considered mad. After all, if I was going to be a part of this I was probably going to get some of the credit. Not just credit even, I would be the first person to ever enter a game physically. I could be in history books! Or heck, have schools named after me!

"Okay, fine." I sighed and walked over to the front of the gun. Its gaze stared down at me like an ever watchful eye. Among its obvious sight it locked onto me, this accompanied by the sound of the powerful grinding of the machine itself.

"Okay, in 3...2...1." Dannen's countdown was a little too quick for me, but before I knew it my world turned into a blinding white light. I felt myself lift off the floor—weightless as each of my senses began to regain themselves. The warm room of the basement changed to that of an icy winter wind, and the light that had surrounded me left, forming into a wide and open sky filled with mountains at its base. I was in the middle of a field, surrounded by hills and rocks.

"Dannen?!" I cried as I wrapped my arms around my chest. I shook uncontrollably due to the sudden climate change. Snow began to fall and settle on my brown hair, as another wave of cold air swept over my body. This place looked so utterly familiar, yet I couldn't quite put my tongue on it. "Dannen, where are you? Can you hear me?" I yelled again, but like before received no answer. This game world was very silent, yet tranquil, so every time I yelled I felt out of place.

The idea of walking around came to mind, so I started moving my feet through the crusty and frosty grass. Every moment being in the game felt incredible. The scenery was breathtaking, and at certain moments, when the clouds parted just enough away from the game world’s sun, the mountains became different shades of blue. The blinding rays of the star above and beyond the clouds made the snow glow with a pure white light.

"This place…" I mustered again, "I _know_ I've played this game before."

The serenity of the landscape, then, was broken. In the distance, but coming quickly like rolling thunder, I heard a strong roar. Its sound caused my eyes to widen, and I could feel the cold on my skin dissipate as my face grew hot with a fluster. My heart raced as the chills on my arms grew tighter. That roar had such a trademark sound to it that any gamer would recognize it.

It was a dragon, and this was _Skyrim_.


	2. A Rift Between Worlds.(torrent)

Every heart wrenching moment I stood there like a deer caught in headlights, I was putting myself in even more danger. For some reason I couldn't find the strength to move my legs. I found quickly that I was shaking, and my veins began to fill with a cold adrenaline. The sound of the dragon’s procession among the skies grew even more thick and horrific, every now and again its wings creating a pound as it pushed the dragons massive form through the air.

"Dannen, where are you!? Can you hear me!?" I cried again, this time as loud as I could. However, instead of getting any answers from my brother I gathered more of the dragon's attention instead. Even from afar I saw its eyes shift towards me. That was when I began to feel my muscles tighten in a sudden urge to run.

With a powerful gasp of its lungs, the dragon roared again, causing me to finally break from my stationary position and run the opposite direction. I had no idea what I was doing; whenever I actually played _Skyrim_ I'd at least have people around to help me, or even objects or other characters to loot off of. But this time, I was bare, and I was scared. Despite that I ran as fast as I possibly could, it didn't seem like it was making much of a difference. The _whoosh_ sound of the dragon's wings, and its terrifying growls, crept up closer by the second. Because of this, I couldn't help but let out a scream. Something about the beast gaining up on me caused every emotion I tried to hold back come pouring out of me like an overflowing barrel.

"Kailey! Kailey, where are you?!" I heard my brother's voice frantically call out finally, but it was distant, almost unworldly. I jumped behind one of the large stones to escape from the dragon’s gaze, and tried to regain myself. I knew that hiding wouldn't do any good for long, considering I probably had a horrible sneak level.

"Dannen! Where are you?! Get me out of here!" I called again. My voice was cracking now, and my words came out rather quickly.

"Are you in _Skyrim_?" Dannen's voice called, but instead of just filled with distraught it was now filled with absolute fear. "What's happening?"

"I'm being chased by a dragon, you _dimwit_!" I cried again, putting emphasis on the insult. "This isn't just a game. This is real, way too real! I can't fight a _dragon_!"

"You have to find a way back to the portal!" Dannen's voice explained. "If you arrived in _Skyrim_ that's where it is."

" _Stay in Skyrim_?" My eyes widened like a defiant child being forced to do homework. "Screw that, I'm running for my life!" With a quick burst I broke from my temporary hiding place and blasted off towards any direction that proved to have the least amount of obstacles that could ruin my chances of escape.

"If you don't have a sword, you have magicka at the start of the game!" My brother tried to remind me, but I didn't really care. How the hell was I supposed to know how to use magicka? When I played at home sitting on my damned couch all I had to do was press and hold down a single button. This wasn't the same.

The dragon, which I hadn't taken the time to look at for a number of moments, was still obviously on my tail. The moment I flew from my hiding position I could tell it was after me. Its roars projected with less amount of time in between, so now the fear factor had grown ten times full. My eyes scanned the world around me, desperately seeking for any sort of cave that I could rush into. It was after a few moments of running, when the trees in the west became thinner, that I noticed a large out-of-place open doorway. I figured it must be the portal my brother was talking about, so I rushed towards it.

However, as close as I was, it was too late. The dragon roared again, but this time it was louder than it was before. I turned my head around, and just a few yards away from me I could see the dragon. It had come down from the sky, and was about to claw me.

Raising my arms, as a pitiful way to protect myself, I braced for impact, tripping in the process backwards. Because of my fall, I was able to get away from the dragon’s claws just enough for the fatal blow, but instead my arms were torn to shreds. Although my body was filled with adrenaline I could still feel that pain consume my arms like a thousand bees piercing my flesh. Looking down, blood immediately began to flow from myself like a bunch of tiny rivers. I had to get up and get to that doorway.

The dragon continued flying, but it looked to be making a comeback as I saw it take a wide turn from the direction I was heading. It had gathered so much distance that it was close to the doorway, so I had to make it under the dragon, and arrive to my rescue, before it could to me. Without wasting time I sped up again, though realizing how tired I was getting. On top of loosing blood, I had been running for a good long while, so the possibility of me even making it to the doorway seemed out of my chances. Nonetheless, thinking like that wasn't going to make those odds any better. Breaking from any tears I felt weld up behind my eyelids, I managed to strive onward in a hard dash. The dragon quickly was making its turn and now was heading straight towards me. It was now or never though, and there was no turning back.

I closed my eyes, and let out a yell. I heard the swoosh of its wings again, and the gust of its power flinging my hair and clothing around. Though instead of another roar, I heard it speak this time. The dragon wasn't resorting to physical attacks anymore, it was about to use its Thum.

" _YO TOOR SHUL!"_ The dragon's voice was deep and mighty and its sound resembled thunder, or an avalanche. This in itself caused me to open my eyes. Looking upward, it was hovering just over me, with its mouth wide open. From the back of its throat I could see an ember spark, and suddenly a wave of fire twisted into my direction. I ducked and threw my body under it, escaping the direct flame, but feeling the burst of fire behind me. It was painful despite not hitting me directly, and it was even more so on the wounds on my arms. I didn't waste time, however, and dashed into the doorway. I continued running despite that I had made it, letting out a scream of relief. My eyes closed again, as I continued to holler, and just as abruptly as I flew in, I bumped into something. I tumbled backwards but was able to catch myself from falling. Peeking from under my eyelids, I looked up.

"Hey, sorry about that!" An extremely tall man, with huge hands greeted me. He seemed genuinely happy, which on my part was strange due to the situation I was just in, and expecting to see my brother.

Still panting, and containing a twisted and confused expression, I stared up at him with my arms tucked and wrapped around each other. I could see his smile vanish once he noticed my arms, and how they were now dropping blood every now and again over the floor.

"Wait a second—are you _bleeding_?" the big guy exclaimed. His large hands tried reaching towards me, but he was reluctant due to the obviously urgent matter at hand. "This can't be for real, are you a human?"

Before I could even try and answer, a sudden hologram of a police-like character popped up beside me. In his hands he held a notepad, and with the other a pin. Without looking up he stated, "Random Security Check! Where are you heading?"

I looked over at him but I couldn't manage to answer him, either. My eyes were still wide open, and with every fiber of my being, I felt traumatized. It was a few seconds of silence between the three of us that the police officer finally looked up, but upon staring at me he gasped.

"Y—you're a _User_!" He cried a bit too loudly for my liking, which caused the entire place and all its characters to look over in my direction. Like a domino effect, each and every conversation stopped dead in its tracks, and it didn't take long for the entire room of game characters to surround me in an awe struck stare.

"Hey, everyone, nothing to see here!" The big guy broke the awkward silence as he waved his large hands in the air, and then settled them down in front of me, as if shielding me from their constant stares. "Can't you see that she just came from _Skyrim_? I mean, just the thought of going into a game that scary would make me into a zombie, too. No offense to the actual Zombie, of course! Heh." After his short speech the big guy turned around to look at me, and hunched a bit so he could be at eye level with me. "Hey, I know somebody that can fix those scratches right up. You should come with me."

I didn't bother responding verbally just yet. Instead I nodded my head in agreement and began following him through the utterly silent crowd of characters, through each step looking straight at every single one I could. They were all here! All the characters I saw in the arcade. This place must be where all the arcade games connected.

Once we made it from the large main area we came to another doorway, though this time above it I saw it was titled ' _Fix-It Felix Jr.'._ I recalled seeing the game during my time exploring the consoles, so I knew it couldn't be that bad. However, I recalled the similarities between the guy that smashed stuff, with the big guy that was helping me, and began to connect the dots.

"So, umm… my names Wreck-It Ralph, but you can just call me Ralph for short." He finally spoke once we arrived to a small train ride. He crawled in and offered a seat in front of him. I looked at the seat, and then to him, clearly showing my worry on the matter. "Look, I know you probably know me as, well, a 'bad guy' but I'm not going to hurt you," Ralph explained sincerely. "Here in the arcade, 'bad guy' is just a term for most. I guess you could say were just all acting roles."

Ralph's kind domineer helped me loosen my nerves a bit. For once in a long while I fell into comfort, a relief if you will. "Wow," I let out at first, sighing a bit to show the stress lifting. "I still can't believe this is happening."

Ralph chuckled a bit, and said, "Yeah, same here." He'd then itch the back of his neck, as if trying to divert his mutual feelings. "Us guys from the consoles see you humans all the time on the screen, but we never thought one of you would actually come into our world. So, tell me, do you have a name?"

"It's Kailey," I stated.

"Well, then, er… Kailey. I guess we should get going, hm? I don't think your first visit to our world would be a very good memory if you passed out from blood loss." He chuckled again, but this time, nervously. I could tell he was trying to make light of the situation.

Steadily, I crawled into the seat in front of him and tried to relax. The train started moving forward once I was settled, and it was only a matter of moments before we arrived. This time I was the one awe struck when I saw the screen to the real world. Despite that this game was pixelated on the outside, here it was just the opposite. It was amazing to see it from this perspective. It looked nothing like an old game, no, it was crystal clear and almost real, almost just like the real world. I had no idea that the games we created were like this—not only living within them sentient characters that were well aware of _us_ , but functioning and breathing worlds. As the train finished its venture into the Fix-It Felix game, I saw the details that made the game so iconic. I saw the penthouse that was the game’s main setting, but even more so, I saw things that I didn't notice just by looking at it from the screen. There were other buildings further down into the world, and to the other side was a large mound of bricks. I remained seated, staring up at this new world without realizing we had come to a stop.

"Hey, you coming?" Ralph spoke up, breaking me from my trance. I shook my head lightly and then took a stand, however, immediately being offered help from the cart. For a 'bad guy', Ralph was the most polite person I had ever met. "Don't push yourself too hard, I'll help you out," he said, simply extending his right hand for me to grab. Since I was looking at him again, I took in other traits from the game world that I had not noticed before. According to the Fix-It Felix game guide I had checked out earlier that afternoon, Ralph was nine-feet tall. Here, though he looked to be a bit smaller, at least in comparison to my own height. If I had to make an educated guess he looked to be about three feet taller than me. Thinking about it the game world versus the real world may just as well have differences and slight transitions.

Once out and about, Ralph led me to the front of the main and centered building, where standing there among a small group of Nicelanders was Fix-It Felix himself. I could tell it was him quickly due to the way he looked.

"Well, hello Ralph!" Felix greeted happily, though like Ralph had done to me before, Felix's smile faded into worry once he saw me. "Jiminy, Jaminy! Who is she? What happened?"

"You're not going to believe this, but she's a _User_. An actual human!" Ralph said, expressing a bit more excitement this time. "But you gotta help. She ended up in _Skyrim_ and one of the dragons flying around got to her."

"Goodness!" Felix said. "I can try, but I've never tried fixing… well, a human before." Felix proceeded to grab his trademark golden hammer and began to walk up towards me, however, I was reluctant. The idea of being hit with a hammer on an already painful spot was the last thing I wanted. The two could both see my dismay.

"It's okay, Kailey!" Ralph spoke up. "Felix fixes things, it's his thing."

I eyed him and then looked back down to the little guy. I realized that not taking this chance could lead to far worse things, so I kneeled down and stretched my arms out for Felix to take a look at. The wounds were bad, almost like I was attacked by two cats that decided to fight on me, though it was despite this horrific display in which Felix knocked both of my arms with the golden hammer, and in an instant the red and swollen scars vanished. I gasped with surprise as I lifted my arms to my face to get a better look.

"I can't believe it worked!" I said. "It's gone, the pain is gone too, thank you!" The sheer fact that a game world character could cure me was in itself a marvel. What would the real world be like if there were people like Felix there? What my brother had done, sending me into the game world, was more than just changing the way we played video games. Indeed lives would be changed.

"You're welcome, Ma'm!" Felix responded giddily. "It was an honor of mine, after all!" His eyes seemed to dart away from me quickly though, likewise with Ralph. They were staring at the screen. Because of this I turned my attention there as well, and to my surprise my brother was waltzing around the arcade. His hands were rolled up in his hair as he seemed to pace, looking into other console screens searching for me.

"Hey! Dannen! Over here!" I cried as I waved my hands as frantically as I could. "I'm in _Fix-It Felix Jr_.!" This got his attention quickly. I could see him look over and jump towards the front of the screen, and slam his face into it like a kid looking through a window.

"Holy Shit!" Dannen cried. "How did you get in there? And what happened to the dragon?"

"I managed to get out," I responded, "but that's over and done with. Please tell me you have a way to get me out of here?"

"The portal is still opened. Like I said when you were running for your life, the portal should be in the same game you entered. You have to go back to _Skyrim_ if you want to come out now."

"What?!" I exclaimed, horrified. "I'm not going back in there!"

"Kailey! Don't worry about it. I'll take you back to the portal," Ralph intervened, though his statement brought worry to Felix.

"Not that again, Ralph!" Felix said. "You know what happened last time you went Turbo. I can't let you go alone, if anything I'll accompany you. My wife should be coming here shortly, so we can recruit her as well. She's the best gal around for escorting Users to their destination."

"Wife?" I asked. Reading up on the characters of the game I didn't recall any other main characters other than Felix and Ralph, and of course the Nicelanders, so it was surprising to know there was more to it.

"I'm sure you know of her," Felix answered. "She's Sergeant Tamora Calhoun from _Hero's Duty_. Quite the Dynamite Gal, isn't she? Although she doesn't like it when I say that."

"Calhoun? You mean that blonde?" I asked again with emphasis. Initially the thought of a badass futuristic space soldier dating this little guy was what caught my attention as strange, but soon it was the idea that these characters also communicated so intimately with each other despite coming from different consoles that stood out to me. Nonetheless, I was glad they wanted her to come. I needed all the help I could get reaching the portal and dealing with those dragons. The thought of meeting one again made me shudder.

"If you guys are going back to _Skyrim_ I can upload my character and meet you there," Dannen insisted from the screen. "That way I can keep the portal free of dragons or any other nuisance."

"Sounds like a deal then," I said. "Go ahead and do that. I'll be there soon."

Dannen gave a nod and ran off, though now I sensed he was happy again that he was going to get to play with me in a video game. Of course the circumstances were of its best for any gamer. It was the ultimate crossover, sort of like _Super Smash Brothers_ only with different characters, and instead of Master Hand or something, we had dragons. I couldn't help but smile. I felt a surge of giddiness overcome me, like butterflies. It was that joy you got when you opened a present on Christmas day, or when you made an A on a test you worked hard to pass.

"Once we get this all figured out I'd love to stay longer," I said aloud. "Of course, I wouldn't go to _Skyrim_ as my first game, ya know?" I chuckled as I turned back to look at Ralph and Felix. My smile remained as I looked at them, appreciating now what they were doing for me, and how much they cared for someone of my kind. "Why are you guys helping me, anyway?" I asked out of curiosity.

"Well, it's kinda funny you ask," Ralph responded. "I guess you could say, we need each other. You humans give us reason to exist, and we give you fun times and good memories." His statement was simple, but within it held all the meaning and focus of how they thought about humans; how they thought about _me_. I would have never realized that coming home from work and plopping on the couch meant meeting up with a friend every day. A friend whose sole purpose was to help me through hard times; a friend that saw me as a reason to live.

"What's all the humbo jumbo about a User?" A woman's voice stated bluntly, yet fiercely, from the entryway. We all looked over to see the woman from _Hero's Duty_ , Sergeant Calhoun. As she seemed to stomp over to us, her question was answered with my presence. Despite that I was no longer bleeding, which obviously was a huge giveaway, she knew I was human. Her hand swept through her hair in a manner of surprise, as she sighed. "I guess those guys weren't kidding," she said.

"Honeybunch!" Felix jumped for joy as he rushed over to her. Calhoun in comparison was about a foot taller than me, so it was funny to see such a short guy like Felix clinging onto her. I wanted to chuckle and wipe a growing tear on my eye, but knowing her personality, I didn't want to say anything. "Kailey, I'd like to introduce you to my wife," Felix said, though his eyes continued to embrace Calhoun's presence, adoring her.

As typical of my upbringing I walked over and extended a hand. "It's nice to make your acquaintance, Tamora," I greeted, attempting to be as polite as I could.

Calhoun looked at my hand a second, which made me feel awkward. I wasn't sure if I did something wrong or she was just testing me, but after a bit she grabbed my hand and shook it, though a bit harder than I anticipated. "It's Sergeant Calhoun to you," she replied. "But it is quite an honor to meet the kind of my maker."

"So, we need your help." Ralph spoke over to Calhoun. "She came in through a portal in _Skyrim_ , though the game is too dangerous for her as of now. Felix and I were going to escort her back. We were hoping you'd come."

"I don't see why not," Calhoun answered. "You pussy willow going Turbo almost destroyed the entire arcade. I think it'll be better if I did tag along."

There was that term again: Turbo. It didn't really strike me as interesting the first time that term was used but now it caught my attention. Not to mention it was always used in a negative sense, along the lines of a shudder or along with the word 'destroyed'.

"What's 'going Turbo' mean?" I asked.

"Err, it's quite a story," Ralph said, cringing a bit. "About a year ago I wanted to prove myself to Felix and the Nicelanders that I could be a good guy. Though, I almost let the Cy-bugs destroy everything."

"What do you mean, _almost_?" Calhoun spat. "Any longer and that candy freak would have lead the invasions to the entire system!"

"I don't need to be reminded," Ralph mentioned, lightly facepalming himself. "Anyways, that leads me to another part of the story. 'Going Turbo' originated from a racer named Turbo, from a game way back when called _TurboTime_. When his game became unpopular he tried wrecking another racing game, which got both games unplugged. Saying 'Going Turbo' is another word for saying Game Jumping."

Although he tried explaining it, it left me with more questions. "And Candy Freak?" I asked again, this time looking towards Calhoun.

"Again, this concerns Turbo. He survived when his game was unplugged and ended up at another game called _Sugar Rush_. He messed up the codes and took the games place as King Candy, though when Ralph started his circus show and brought Cy-bugs into the game of diabetes and crying children King Candy turned into a Cy-bug himself. A Cy-brid or something, who the heck cares! He's dead now." Calhoun didn't seem to care about this Turbo, King Candy guy or whatever. Everyone, in fact, looked like they wanted to put whatever happened behind them. Each of them had suddenly became fidgety, awkward or angry in their own way, so I decided talking about Turbo was best left finished.

"Well then, I guess we should get going to the land of _Skyrim_ , huh? My brother is probably already set up," I then suggested, hoping that would quickly make things better.

"Just stick with us Civilian, and we'll have you home quicker than a cute kitten at an animal shelter," Calhoun said, and grabbed the giant gun that was hanging on her back and began to arm it. Without another word, she started back to the exit, and the three of us followed.

"So, what's the real world like?" Ralph asked. Hearing his question brought me to think about my daily routine—which was boring as hell.

"Well… err… I've never really had to explain it before," I responded shyly. "There are a lot of cars, trees, roads. Squirrels, I guess, and birds. As for me, I wake up early, usually before the sun is up, get ready and go to work or college."

"What do you do for work?" Calhoun then asked, though I found myself a bit ashamed thinking about it.

"I sit in an office and write stuff on a computer," I stated, though that was it. There weren't any more questions after that, and for a long moment or so all that was heard was the sound of our footsteps on the ground.

"No wonder you need video games," Calhoun said sarcastically.

It was then that we got to the end of the tunnel and back to the entrance, though what we found was nothing like I saw when I first arrived. Instead of game characters casually walking and talking among themselves, the clean walls and floors were now littered and covered in deep scratches that looked like a giant chainsaw was let loose. Some characters were laying on the ground unconscious as well, which caused the guys with me to gasp and cringe.

"What the blazes happened here!?" Calhoun cried aloud as she raised her large gun upward as if preparing for something. It was then that Ralph gasped again, and then quickly ran over to one of the game characters that was laying on the ground out-cold, specifically towards a little dark-haired girl with candy in her hair. She looked tired and shaken, but not hurt.

"Vanellope!" Ralph said with terror, lifting her small body upward in his big hands which seemed to encase her. When she didn't respond we all rushed over beside him, looking down at the small child.

"She's stable," Calhoun brought up to comfort Ralph. "But we need to get moving. Whatever happened here is apparently back in one of the consoles. We need to get Kailey back to the portal."

Again, all my anticipation for traveling _Skyrim_ with these awesome characters subsided. This wasn't normal, and was completely out of line. Whatever, or whoever did this wasn't playing any game. This was an outright attack. Getting out of this place now was my top and only priority, though I wished things had gone a bit smoother, because I did after all long to stay.

Ralph hung onto Vanellope as we then proceeded back to _Skyrim_ in a rush. Entering the game itself didn't take long, but the lingering anxiety of what we just saw stayed with us as we proceeded into the mountainous covered world.

"Kailey, are you in yet?" my brother's voice called from the skies, sounding airy and distant due to the massiveness of the game from wherever the screen was located.

"Yeah, I'm in!" I yelled back, placing my hands on both sides of my lips to try and project my voice.

"Well, I found the portal," Dannen informed us. "It's directly west of Whiterun, in that field. It should be relatively close to where you were initially."

"Ah, the Western Watchtower," Calhoun spoke up, apparently knowing the game rather well. "That's just a mile or so this direction. We should be there quick enough."

I was thankful to hear that I wouldn't be stuck here much longer, but at the same time I was sad. "Why couldn't this have worked out better?" I placed my hands together and breathed into them, attempting to keep them warm as I said this, so it came out as a mutter. I wasn't sure if the guys heard, but then again I didn't want to worry them much. They were having problems, and complaining wasn't going to make it any better. I just had to hope that whatever was happening to the arcade would be taken care of.

We strove onward for what seemed to be a long time, though once we did reach over the hills to gaze downward to our destination, the journey didn't seem long after all. Just like my brother said, to the west and just a bit beyond the tower was the portal. It looked like a crack had broken in the sky, and the heavens of the game were leaking a solid yet lovely light white and blue light in which fell to the land like an airy moving waterfall. The line of the portals appearance was so perfectly straight it looked like it was a physical building that was standing up, made of glowing fireflies.

As beautiful as it was, another sight sat before it, and beside the tower. A large dragon laid dead, and another body beside it. It was my brother's character. I didn't understand why this was. It should have been easy for Dannen to kill a dragon, and as per the program of his character, should have absorbed the dragon and its power after defeating it, though the creature's body was left unscathed.

"Dannen, what happened?" I cried out loud.

"There was something else here!" Dannen's disembodied voice responded. "I've never seen it before!"

"R—Ralph…" Vanellope suddenly woke, though her voice was cracking and fading in and out from exhaustion. Hearing her speak again caused everyone to look at her, who still sat in Ralph's large hands.

"Vanellope, you're okay!" Ralph cried with joy. "What happened to Game Central Station?"

"I was racing…" Vanellope responded slowly. "For the roster lineup, like we always do when the arcade closes. When we heard about the girl, the human girl though after the race, something happened… It was…"

"It was what?" Ralph asked again, but more urgently. "What happened, who did this to you? Who crashed Game Central?"

"It was, King Candy..." Vanellope said. "He's alive. I don't know how, but he's alive."

"How could he be alive, I saw him go into the Diet Coke explosion!" Calhoun said, though angrily. "He died outside of his original game, that doesn't make sense!"

Another voice then accompanied ours. "There is'th so much you fools'th don't know!" This voice was angry and menacing, yet very much had a character sound to it. We had no idea where the voices point of origin was, but when it was then accompanied by the sound of pounding wings, like that of a wasp, or a hummingbird, we saw him.

Rising above the ground and from his hiding place among the tower and rocks, was a giant creature with the face of a man with a rounded nose. However, this face didn't remain consistent, but glitched between this and another, the second face having a pale appearance with darkened, yellow eyes.

"Turbo?!" Ralph said. "How are you alive?!"

"Wouldn't you like to know!" Turbo responded bitterly, his appearance continuing to hiccup in between faces. "But I suppose'th I can go ahead and give you the story. When that _glitch_ crossed the finish line it reset the game. Luckily for me, I embedded my own code into _Sugar Rush_ and became a part of the game, so I was revived. Though the Cy-bug that merged with me remained a part of me... I just waited for th'he perfect opportunity to reveal mys'thelf. Hearing about a Us'th'er arriving gave me an idea, so I decided to find the portal before you could get to it! But now that you are here and seeing the girl for mys'thelf, I have other plans for her!"

"Kailey, run _now_." Calhoun prepped herself and her weapon as she turned toward the new enemy. "Get to the portal, we'll take it from here."

Again, I fell into a state of panic. Calhoun's statement was urgent yet blunt, and she stared me down with her icy blue eyes as if trying to shove me psychologically. "Get going!"

I wish I could have said goodbye, but I knew remaining there would only make it harder for them. With disdain growing in my heart from having to part this way, I turned to look towards the portal, and ran.


	3. New World Order.(exe)

Gunfire filled the once serene landscape, accompanied by hard slams, and powerful quakes that resembled aftershocks. It was despite these horrific sounds of battle that I continued to sprint through the icy grass, not looking back behind me to watch the sudden unfolding fight that overtook the field before the portal. I continued to keep the portal in sight, focusing intently on it as one may focus on a road when driving during a storm. It was only then, however, when I began to pass the dead dragon and the body of my brother's character, that I found myself slowing down. How easy was it for Turbo to kill them? How much time did my brother, and the dragon, really stay fighting until they ended up lifeless and in pieces like what I saw?

Although it wasn't really my brother, the cat-like Khajiit character that lay there motionless caused my heart to thunk, skipping beats as it suddenly became hard to breathe. I found my all-out sprint settled to a trot, and then to a standstill, only remaining ever so close to where the character lay. I had watched Dannen build that character from scratch. At level one, it wore nothing but rags, and at almost level sixty eight now, it was clad in ebony armor. Despite all that effort and time that it took to raise its skill, it somehow was still not enough to defeat Turbo. Even the dragon laid dead. If Dannen or this dragon couldn't defeat Turbo, what made the others think they could?

I scanned the ground quickly, looking for a sword or a bow and arrow—anything that could give me some sort of defense just in case the others failed at their attempts to protect me. It was despite these efforts that the ground, and my brother's character, remained bare of anything. That was, for the exception of a single book. I picked it up, hoping I could gain some sort of level up, though it was written in a strange dialect. The only thing I could tell about it was it had a symbol of a flame on its cover.

"Kailey! Where are you? You need to hurry!" Dannen's voice called from the skies, though harder to hear over the gunfire. "I don't know how much longer the portal will stay open!"

I found my gaze slipping to the bodies once again, soaking in how truly real they felt. In every way, they looked and smelled like death. It was really like the souls had left their eyes.

"But—they're just _game_ characters," I muttered. Oh, how wrong I was. My mind seemed to flash from the moment I first stepped into the arcade, how each and every character, beast or man, was just as alive I was.

My legs left without me as I started to sprint again. I was getting tired, though the situation at hand seemed to push me past my limits. Although my mind was in a state of shock and paralysis, my body was coming to a state of self-preservation. The world, nay, the reality as I knew it was literally being broken in front of me. What I thought was real was only a small percent of what I could ever imagine. Now, in the course of a single day and night, I had started as just a regular girl sitting in an office, to a helpless being running for my life.

The portal was easing its way closer with every step I took, though seemed to remain as a whole in the background. In a state of panic I began to reach my arms out to it, as if desperately trying to physically grasp its light. I could already feel the warmth of it on my face, its blue rays highlighting and bringing luminosity to my fair toned cheeks. Focusing on that light was the only thing that was keeping me from collapsing.

It was among my fast pace, where the light dangled itself before me when heavy laughter took the place of Calhoun's gunshots. It couldn't have been but a few seconds of this transition of sound, when I again heard the pounding of Turbo's Cy-brid wings, and like an unexpected collision of lighting onto the earth, he landed harshly in front of me. His head was cocked sideways and down low to my level, as a heavy and almost maniacal smile overcame his expression.

"Where do you think you're going, _Th'Sweettart_?" Turbo laughed as his eyes grew wide. While my mind lingered on him, my body continued to think for itself—my legs turned in an attempt to rush the other direction, though just as quickly as I managed to turn around, he was blocking my new path. This dance of changing course went on for a couple of turns, all the while my fear growing ten-fold. Every moment of my distress was every second of his amusement.

"Leave me alone!" I finally cried, placing my hands on both sides of my head as if trying to hold back the panic from falling out of me. I felt helpless, like a song bird being corralled by a hawk. I didn't know what to do; I've never had to experience anything like this in my life. The worst part of my daily routine was driving in traffic, with the occasional freak out from a test or some other simple problem that I could overcome. But this?

"Kailey!" I heard my brother's voice cry out to me. It left an echo in the skies, and then dissipated as the laughing waves of Turbo's voice encased and destroyed it. I could imagine sitting on the couch with my brother, playing this game as it should be played. I remembered him slaying hundreds of dragons, and thousands of mercenaries, all the while only wielding a sword and shield. I also remembered my own character: whenever my sword was knocked out of my hands, I was never really _powerless_.

I found my hands fall from the sides of my head, and in a trance I looked at them. In the real world they where only used for such thing as work, writing, and for the comfort of others, but there was so much more potential. Here, in the game, they could do anything...

That was when the light bulb when off.

I tensed the muscles in my hands, creating a claw like reflex out of them as I closed my eyes. "Control it," I muttered, feeling every ounce of strength weld up inside me and form energy in my grasp, growing warm and then hot as I focused. Opening my eyes I saw a spark, and quick as a flicker, a blaze of fire encased my hands. This is what my brother was talking about before; this was fire magicka; this was it!

I didn't waste time now, and with a powerful shot of both arms, I spat two fire balls towards Turbo's direction. I managed to hit his face, so that immediately caused him to cease his laughter. I saw him blink like he was trying to rid off pepper spray from his eyes as he fell back, but only slightly. His glitching hiccups suddenly became more sporadic as well, though I felt just that one simple shot wasn't enough. I tossed another round again, and again, hoping the more I managed to throw the more he would be weakened enough for me to continue my run. I found _myself_ smiling now; I was the one in charge. I only wished I could use the Thum myself, then I'd be Dragonborn—!

"Wait? What?" I said as I got cut short of my train of thought. The flames in my hands suddenly had grown weak, and every time I tried tossing another blast towards my target, I heard a clunk sound. I cringed at the situation as my grin left me, and through the thick smoke I had created, looked upward to see Turbo smirking down at me, every few moments transitioning into his pale, dark-eyed persona.

"Out of juice, aren't we?" Turbo chuckled as he saw my dismay. I had completely forgotten at such a low level my magicka stats were weak and extremely limited. But now, facing him after my attempts at fighting back, I could see all that I had done did absolutely nothing. There wasn't a scratch on him, not even a burn.

"Now that I have your full attention…" Turbo spoke up again, seeming casual in his way of speaking to me. I, however, was completely caught off guard when he charged at me afterward. I screamed out of surprise, and attempted to run again, but he was so fast that it only took less than a second for him to grab me. His large pink and violet claw-like hands encased me like a prison, wrapping around my waist like chains. I tried flailing my arms around, and summoning magicka once again, but was left with nothing but more clunk sounds to show that I still couldn't use the fire ability anymore. It was because of this utter helplessness that I suddenly began pounding my fists on his fingers, though I quickly grew to imagine that it wasn't hurting him a single bit. I was waiting for something horrible to happen; a single crunch of his palm or a throw—anything and pretty much everything he could do to end it right there. But the longer I sat in his grasp, the more I began to realize that he wasn't about to kill me.

"I hope you're finis'thhed with your tantrum." He mocked me, though his smirk still remained.

"What do you want from me?" I then exclaimed, having the courage to finally look up at him. It was being this close, eye to eye now how I truly saw how terrifying he looked, and how small I was in comparison to his monstrous size.

"Is'thn't it already obvious?" Turbo stated. "You're everything I could have possibly as'thked for! Literally a door has been set right before me and I've been given the key! Now, I think it's'th time for our exit, don't you think? I can finally give into… _the light_."

I wasn't sure what was happening. He began to sigh when he mentioned the light, and upon turning to look at the portal his eyes became filled with a blue pixilated hue. We slowly began to move to the portal, easing and inching ever closer, when I began to realize the disaster of all of this. If Turbo got out, who knows what he was capable of! If he could kill my brother's character, a dragon, and take out the others, how were the people of the real world supposed to fight him? I wasn't even sure what his desires were, so the mystery of the situation is what scared me the most.

Again the warmth of the light seemed to embrace my face, though instead of thinking of it as my safety, I began to see it as my prison. I could only stare at the portal as we got close to it, and upon reaching its doorstep I could feel the push and pull of its energy breathing in, and out, from the real world to the game world.

A sudden exhale of electricity encased the portal before us, and despite how close we were, it vanished. I was half expecting to make it through, though now I found the two of us remained there in the field of _Skyrim_ , left barren like the icy world.

"W—wait, what just happened?" Turbo said as he withdrew from his trance due to the disappearance of the portals light. His confusion turned to anger abruptly as he turned to look all around him, then upward into the sky as if seeking out where the portal may have originated from. " _No_! I didn't wait this long for nothing!" he yelled. It was suddenly that he grasped me tighter, and with his other free hand lifted one of his sharp fingers at my neck. "Human, I know you can hear me!" Turbo yelled into the sky. He was now trying to talk directly to my brother. "If you want your th'sister's little neck to still be attached to her head, I'd th'suggest you open another portal!"

My eyes widened as the icy game world became silent. My heart was now beating at my chest, and the feeling of Turbo's sharp-fingered claw at my neck made my distress even worse. Sometimes I wished I was the kind of person who fainted easily, because being forced to stay awake when faced with a situation like this was the least of my idea of fun.

"Please, don't hurt her…" My brother's voice answered back, though with a tone of regret and surrender. "I can open another portal, but I don't know where it will generate again."

"No, no, _no!"_ Turbo yelled. "Do as I say exactly! I'm not dealing with any short cuts'th anymore! Open the portal in _Hero's Duty_!"

My wide frightened eyes glazed over to look upward at him. I was so confused. Why would he want the portal to open in _Hero's Duty_? But it didn't really matter to me now, the fact that my brother was even listening to a maniac like this was unbelievable. But then again, what choice did he have? I would have done the same thing for him if we had switched places.

"Okay… just, don't hurt my sister," Dannen said.

Instead of an answer, Turbo suddenly lifted off into the air, the cold wind becoming even more so as I lay in his hand among the hum of his wings. Being lifted higher into the sky I could see the area around the watchtower again, and there, among the torn land, was everyone that had tried to help me. They were just lying there, motionless like the dragon that lay among the rubble with them.

* * *

Past the screams of what remained in Game Central Station and into the entrance of _Hero's Duty_ , I could see anticipation filling Turbo's eyes. There was not a single moment in his presence that I felt at peace. With every pound of his wings, and every passing light above as we flew through the tunnel, I imagined faces of people I knew in the real world. They had no idea what was coming, and the only person who knew was my brother and I.

I had thought numerous times how Dannen could warn the city, but I had an aching feeling they wouldn't believe him. People were concerned about the economy, getting to work on time, and getting chores done. If my brother brought up a warning that a video game character was about to break loose and do God knows what to the real world, they'd laugh at him, they'd call him a lunatic, and only after it was too late realize the truth. They weren't prepared for something like this.

The dark tunnel left us as we were greeted by the green-hued game-world of _Hero's Duty_. The game was in a stationary state, and there was absolutely no activity going on like I saw in game-play. Instead there was only the group of soldiers that lingered about. It seemed as though they were somewhat prepared for our arrival though, as they all lifted their riffles and aimed upward at Turbo.

"I don't think you want to do that," Turbo said, lifting me upward to show the soldiers. Once they saw me they became hesitant, lowering their guns ever so slightly.

"It's the User!" one gasped, his shock and dismay spreading to the other soldiers. They apparently knew that by attacking Turbo they would risk shooting me.

"Yes, you see now? If you th'shoot me, you'll risk killing her! That's'th not what you want, is it?" Turbo said. "Now move out of the way, you dirty buffoons!"

It was beginning to anger me that Turbo was using me as a shield. Turbo was easily able to pass by the soldiers, and begin his way upward toward the large tower, flying directly into the entrance of the final checkpoint of the game where one would arrive to obtain their medal. However, the medal of course wasn't what we were there for. Among the ground, and scattered all around, were thousands, maybe millions of eggs. They glowed with a faint light, pulsing with life that would awaken with any sort of movement. I felt myself holding my breath, as my mouth hung agape. The Cy-bugs in _Hero's Duty_ were hard to deal with during the game, but face-to-face?

"You th'see them? I hate them, quite honestly," Turbo explained, gesturing to the Cy-bug eggs on the ground. "The one that ate me turned me into this horrendous'th monster I am now. But I th'uppose, not everything bad came from them. I've now become the most powerful virus'th in the arcade! Initially I thought taking over every game I desired would be enough, and only then would I be able to obtain the glory I th'so craved. But now, that doesn't matter! I have _you_! A User! And branching from your arrival I now can take the stage of the real world as king! I'm not just Turbo, or King Candy anymore... I'm King Turbo! My plans for your world will be like nothing you've ever th'seen!"

Reaching outward with his free hand, Turbo lightly pushed one of the eggs, causing it to topple over and hit another egg, and then another. This domino effect caused each and every egg that lay among the darkened floors to become alive, and immediately their shells suddenly started cracking, awakening the viruses sleeping within. The glow of the egg shells themselves were nothing compared to the green hue of their eyes and mouths. With every one that awakened, a new green light shined into the darkened room. The rays of their glows combined became so bright that it was as if I was staring into a cluster of stars. Those hundreds and thousands of eggs were now crawling, living creatures, and Turbo was about to use them as an army.

"There is'th a lot to think about in the course of a year," Turbo spoke up again. "When I was revived after that glitch crossed the finish line, and finding that I did not truly perish, I remained in hiding. I resorted to striving on the very far outskirts of Th'sugar Rush, watching from afar and remembering how that wretched child crushed everything I worked th'so hard for. I tried taking my mind off of this anger, and converted it into plans. Code ideas: manipulation of the computer language you humans created has proven to be the most valuable thing I've ever come across'th! I now can control the Cy-bugs as their leader, and with their will now mine, I can restart a new!"

I remained mute as he spoke. My mouth was still hanging open as I saw the Cy-bugs move around and stretch, knowing that a mass of an army this size, and ever growing, would be overkill. It was also the knowledge of the Cy-bug's that made me imagine what would happen if they were released into my world. Among this, Turbo, or King Candy as he had referred to himself, was part Cy-bug himself. Was this his true nature, or was it because the virus code had changed him? I didn't know what to think; this had become more complicated. I didn't know a thing about codes and computer talk. But I knew good and well that hacking was possible in every way and form, I just didn't know a video game character—a _Program_ could take advantage of it.

The green light that illuminated from the Cy-bugs was soon accompanied by the arrival of the blue light of the portal. Its bright rays immediately caught the Cy-bugs' attention, causing them to fall into hypnosis like I had saw Turbo do before. They all began flying towards it, and in a matter of seconds and handfuls at a time, they vanished through the portal. Turbo himself watched the Cy-bugs fly into the portal initially, though I could see him controlling himself about falling into the trance himself. I assumed it was his time alone for a year that he managed to regain control of himself somehow and these new Cy-brid weaknesses.

"There it is!" Turbo exclaimed with excitement. "There is my new frontier! There, is my destiny!"

After he spoke, he gave in. I saw his expression relax as his eyes become overwhelmed with pixilation, and like before we were moving into the new portal. All around us Cy-bugs continued to flow through the portal with us, and more were still leaking from the building from whence we came. I had to shut my eyes once we got close enough to the portal, but I continued to hear all that was going on. Although the world around me began to change as we entered the portal, the terrifying sound of millions of Cy-bugs flying at once continued to hum. Once I felt the light leave me, I opened my eyes again, but I wasn't quite ready for what I saw.

The ceiling to Litwak's arcade had been cleaved apart, and out, and beyond into the city I could see those many Cy-bugs beginning to spread into the real world. The sun was just beginning to dawn in the horizon, though what little ray of sun I could feel would momentarily become blotted out by the sheer masses of Cy-bugs. It was after arriving into the real world that I noticed that Turbo's glitching ceased, defaulting to his King Candy face.

Turbo flew higher into the skies, as he took a look at the city before him. Again, he chuckle. "A new stage…" he mustered, apparently thinking highly of himself as he gazed upon it. "But firth'st, there is something to take care of! Cy-bugs', destroy the arcade and that portal! Sever all ties, nobody will be sent back in, and nobody can come out!"

"No!" Turbo's statement shocked me so much that I finally was able to scream for the first time in what it seemed like an eternity. I saw the Cy-bugs launch down and attack and devour the device that sent me into the game world in the first place, and once it was destroyed the arcade games themselves were then attacked. Every single one: _Street Fighter, Sonic,_ all the Xbox's and PS3's, now became nothing but scraps and garbage in the blink of an eye. Now I knew though, they weren't just consoles, they were worlds and homes! It took a moment for me to soak in that I just witnessed hundreds of program characters die.

"Don't concern yours'thelf with the like's of them any longer," Turbo said, placing another one of his sharp Cy-brid fingers under my chin to force me to look up at him. "Video games won't be necessary anymore! I will be all you need!"

Once he finished speaking to me, his wings pounded harder and he launched the two of us higher into the skies and across the city. At this point I was terrified of what happened to my brother; he must have been at the machine when the Cy-bugs came out. I wondered if he had escaped, but those odds seemed very small. I couldn't bear the thought of any more death, but it was only the beginning.

Our crossing over the city was quick, and soon Turbo landed a top of the highest building he could find to get a better view. After he landed, was when he tossed me down onto the building's rooftop. As I hit the concrete, I anticipated trying to escape. I took a look at the door on the roof, though immediately as my eyes settled on it Turbo smashed it with his fist. Breaking it into rubble, the doorway was now clogged and worthless.

"Now, I've got you right where I want you, hoohoo!" Turbo said followed by letting loose a chuckle and manically began fluttering his fingers together. Still having not recovered from being tossed on the ground, I scooted back a few times, though found that it really didn't give me much distance between Turbo and I. "You'll have the honor to witne'thss the rise of my new rule!" Turbo said. "Every human on the planet will have the choice to accept me as their king, or die. But you, Th'sweettart, will be shielded from all of that. I will make a spectacle of you! You being the first User, I will make it known to all of your kind that I am the new alpha, and that those who dare to be brave, and go against me will not survive! I will regain the spotlight once more, and be adored by millions!"

"You're a _monster,_ " I spat out, though my throat cracked due to sheer emotion I was containing. "People won't adore you, or love you! They're going to fear you!"

"Love, fear— it doesn't matter to me!" Turbo said as he retained his grin. "As long as I'm the one they see and look up to! The world will be under my control, and you will not be able to escape! You will be _mine_!"

I found now that I was tired of running. I had done nothing but run away since I set foot into the game world, and now I had finally met the end of it. I didn't see any point. There wasn't anywhere to go, and even if I did escape, my brother was gone. My longing for adventure and escape from reality came true, though not quite in the way I had always dreamed. I wasn't some warrior, a great negotiator or a powerful wizard. I was in the real world, and I was just a helpless girl.

"Kailey!" I heard a familiar voice call out to me. It was distant, and so utterly ghostly, that I didn't think it was even real at first. I began to hear the sound of breaking glass, this sound growing louder and louder as if someone was climbing up the side of the building. Quickly though, I saw who had called my name as he peered from over the edge.

"Wreck-It Ralph?!" Turbo cried, as he saw Ralph jump from the ledge and directly beside me. Turbo wasn't the only one who was caught by surprise, however. I found my jaw dropping again, not completely understanding how Ralph had made it in the first place.

"Ralph! What happened? I thought you were dead! I saw the portal and the arcade get destroyed!" I managed to say.

"I'll explain it later, we gotta go! Er, sorry about this." Ralph quickly grabbed a hold of me and started running toward the edge of the building. I could hear Turbo growl irritably, and the sudden pounding of his wings reignite after us.

"Wait, where are we going? There is no way down!" I cried, finding the wind up this high was becoming more hectic and loud.

"We're gonna jump. Just, hold on I guess," Ralph responded as I felt gravity grow stronger once we left the ledge. I didn't have enough time to deny this idea once he leapt. My reaction was to grab the closest thing to me, which happened to be his face and with all the power my lungs had left I screamed. On the way down I saw my life pass through my eyes and then I began contemplating how the hell we were going to survive a fall. But, I figured if he could survive a jump from a building in the game world, he'd still be able to handle it in the real world.

Although it was easy for him, falling wasn't the same for me. It was about three fourths down that he jabbed one of his hands into the side of the building, grabbing a hold of one of the heavy duty metal bars that held the building together. The jerk of the sudden stop tugged at my head, and for a brief moment I felt dizzy. I regained myself once he dropped back again, and finally landed on the ground.

"Oh my land! Ralph! I'm so glad you're okay!" Felix said as he rushed over to us. I could see the little girl Vanellope standing behind him, and Calhoun, too. Their presence couldn't have made me feel any better.

"No time to waste! We need to get out of here, pronto!" Calhoun said as she looked around for anything to help us. It was the sight of an abandoned truck in which she finally let loose a grin and rushed towards it.

"Hey, let me drive! I can get us out of here no problem!" Vanellope said as she rushed passed Calhoun, and beside the truck.

"Please, you're too short to even reach the pedals. I'll take it from here." Calhoun slightly pushed Vanellope's head, and opened the truck door herself. Once she was in the car the rest of us followed, while Ralph resorted to riding in the bed of the truck.

Calhoun started the truck abruptly and stepped on the gas, causing us to launch onto the road. Our timing couldn't have been any better, because looking at the rear-view mirrors, I could see Turbo already on our tail. He was fast, and gaining, and with every passing second I again felt as if I was going to jump out of my skin. Calhoun managed to dodge any traffic that was in the way, though it was despite her perfect coordination that Turbo still managed to stay behind us. He was so powerful that anything that was in his way he'd push violently aside. I was glad that most of the cars were devoid of anyone.

"Jiminy Jaminy! What are we going to do?" Felix cried as he stared out the back. Everyone but Calhoun had their eyes either staring at the mirrors or their faces slammed against the back window staring at the absolute rage that was after us.

"Hold your bras, ladies, we're going through some train tracks," Calhoun said, though remaining completely calm.

"It was her warning that caused me to look away from my pursuer, and toward the road ahead of us. There were railroad lights blinking, indicating danger, and literally a few hundred yards to the left was an oncoming train heading faster than normal. I found that swallowing was becoming difficult as we got closer, considering the collision was incredibly possible at our rate of speed.

"We're not gonna make it!" Felix cried, placing both his hands over his face to shield his eyes.

"Oh, yes we are, Tiddlywink! There is no way I'm going to let that Candy Freak get the better of this soldier!" Calhoun responded in a yell.

The truck met a sudden bump in the tracks, and the light of the front of the train shined into the truck. It happened so quickly though, that I found we made it across just in time, though looking back I saw the train instead made a huge collision with Turbo. Like foil, the train smashed inward, toppling over and causing a huge and disastrous crash of metal and iron. Parts from the train flew everywhere, and dust from the roads spat into the air. Despite after all that, I saw Turbo remain standing, though he had apparently been shaken enough for him to stop.

"Heh, run for as long as you can, Th'sweettart!" Turbo yelled, though a hint of anger filled the tone of his voice. "Run as long as you can, I _will_ find you!"

Although the hectic chase had abruptly ended, we were left with a discomfort that seemed to have physically manifested itself in the air. In that moment of silence, when the sound of the trucks wheels could be heard rolling through the ground below us, was the first situation where I was closer to peace then I had been all night.

"So, what's going on?" Ralph said from the back as he slid the glass window sideways so we could hear him better. "Why does Turbo have some claim over Kailey?"

"Ew, you don't think he wants to marry her do ya? 'Cause that would be pretty weird." Vanellope attempted to joke around, but it wasn't very funny. I could see everyone's eyes slip over to her slightly, continuing to frown.

"This isn't just about goo-goo eyes and Cupid arrows," Calhoun spoke up. "Turbo is taking all his withheld emotions, whether it be rage, longing, and jealousy, all on her. It also must have to do with her being the First User. He's making an example of her to the rest of the humans." Calhoun steadied the truck and its procession on the road and looked over at me. For the first time since I met her, she was showing genuine concern. "We have to find a way to fight back. Kailey, do you know where your brother kept information on the portal generator? Any information will help."

"Well, I assume he'd keep all his work on his laptop," I mentioned. "It would be in his dorm at the university."

"That's a start then," Calhoun said. "We need to get moving, who knows how much longer it'll take for the Cy-bugs to reach further into your world."

"You guys," I managed to speak up again. "How did you get out in time? I thought… well, you were dead! And then when I saw the Cy-bugs destroy the machine and the rest of the arcade games, I didn't know what to think…"

"Nothing can keep this soldier down, Civilian," Calhoun said, "and these guys might seem like a bunch of marshmallows but their pretty tough."

"I wasn't going to stay out for long!" Vanellope joined in the conversation again as she raised a fist, as if trying to show her strength. "Turbo tried stealing my game before, so when I heard he was doing something crazy like this I had to help!"

"But—why are you guys protecting _me_?" I spoke up again. "There are a lot of people in need of help from people like you."

"Well, for one thing it was hard to see Candy Freak take advantage of you like that," Calhoun said. "Also, you're the only one we know that knows anything about the creation of the portal machine. Your brother was nowhere in sight. But, it's our job, well, at least _my_ job to get the User to the finish line. In this case I guess it'll be the equivalent to taking back your world."

Calhoun's answer brought an abundance of different emotions in me. Not only was there the fact that they didn't see my brother, but that I was their only possible link to finding any information about the machine my brother and his team created. It brought me to wonder where the rest of the research team was located, whether they had been killed in the sudden invasion or were out in hiding.

* * *

The open highways leading away from the main city soon brought us to the university. The campus had been completely abandoned, and was devoid of any people by the time we arrived. The only things that remained were some abandoned cars and how every now and again the wind would pick up enough to push clusters of homework papers around to litter the campus. How my brother's university looked, once flourishing, was now nothing but an abandoned site. Word of what had happened apparently traveled quickly enough for the kids and staff to jump ship, which of course I couldn't blame them for doing so.

I made sure to lead the group to my brothers dorm, which I recalled quite well since I had been there a handful of times. My brother was just a freshman, so my family and I always treated him like the baby still. Every chance we could get we would visit him, although he always was reluctant about it. I wasn't sure if that was a sign of simply growing apart from the nest, or how he had other things to do that somehow replaced family. Nonetheless, walking the campus halls once again brought about a lot of nostalgia.

Arriving to his room, dorm 9196 exactly, we stood before it as if anticipating what may be behind. It was obviously abandoned, because I couldn't hear anyone rustling on the other side. I simply reached for the door handle, though quickly found it was locked.

"I don't have a key…" I mentioned, looking back at the group.

"Step aside, I can handle this," Ralph volunteered as he patted his large hands together, and then soon made a fist from one of them. I listened quickly, and got out of the way, and with a single punch Ralph knocked the door clear from its frame and into the room. Once the dust settled and before anyone else could enter, I rushed in, scanning the dorm for my brother's computer. Luckily it was on the coffee table in front of the couch.

"There it is!" I cried, extending my arms and running towards it excitedly. I opened it and began searching through the files, looking for any sort of information regarding the machine. It didn't take long to find blueprints of it, and other notes concerning their progress over the course of the months. However, what caught my eye the most was a video, dated back to the year 1984. My curiosity brought me to open the file, and immediately the video began to play. It had a home video quality to it, and it was focused on a man that was just reaching his middle aged years.

" _My name is Kevin Flynn,_ " The man on the video began. " _This is my first video update concerning my creation, what I call the digitizing laser, aka the Shiva Laser. With it I have discovered the Grid, a blank, digital platform in which I can create anything I so desire. I have been visiting the Grid recently, and progress has come along wonderfully. I've even begun adapting what I've learned into arcade games, just for the fun of it, I guess. Every day I come here though, I learn something new. This, is going to change the world._ "

Before the video could go on any longer, the lights in the dorm flickered and then completely shut down. Following the power outage was a strange silence, like that kind of silence during the eye of a storm. It was only the sudden sound of pounding wings that we became worried, though this anticipation was destroyed quickly when the glass window of my brother's dorm was slammed into by a Cy-bug.

It was quick moving, and I didn't have enough time to react when the Cy-bug scrambled over my direction and crammed part of the table and the laptop into its mouth. Once it devoured the computer, the Cy-bug's exterior changed into a slick black and silver coating like the color of the laptop, and ironically on the upper right corner above its wide glowing eyes the 'Dell' symbol from the laptop appeared on it.

I sat up quickly, though found my surprise had taken the best of me. With wide eyes I stared at the Cy-bug, knowing good and well that anything that could have helped us and every source of known information on the Shiva Laser was devoured right before my eyes.

"It's no help to us now, _move, move_!" Calhoun yelled as she grabbed my arm. Again we all rushed away from the dorm, and to the outside where we left the truck, getting in quickly and driving off as soon as the key was ignited. In a matter of seconds the campus became overtaken with Cy-bugs, destroying anything and everything they could, mostly targeting all of the technology. Every computer lab, telephone and hand held that was left lying out and about was eaten and torn to shreds. They were relentless, and they were not going to leave anything behind.

Although we managed to get away in time, looking back at the campus as we drove away only caused me more pain. From my point of view, the campus that was supposed to be a place of knowledge and growing, was nothing more than rubble, and was now being turned into a hive. In the skies heading towards the campuses direction was a cloud of Cy-bugs. Their sheer masses were blotting out the sun, which at this point should have been clearly vibrant on the horizon. I had to look away then. I was just one girl, and we were just five people against an army of monsters.

I never thought I would have come to the point where I missed simply sitting in a chair and working, or attending classes and listening to a lecture. I felt I was going to be running now for the rest of my life, and giving up would only lead to me being a prisoner. I sunk in my seat and closed my eyes, finding now that my face was growing red from holding back my worries for so long. At that moment, again when the sound of the road was solely my lullaby, I buried my face in my hands, and as silently as I could, I began to mourn.


	4. The Facility.(so)

I felt my consciousness try and drift away from me, falling from my grasp like slipping sands between fingertips. The moments my reality did fall to black came in cycles in which I was not particularly fully contentious of. When I did finally open my eyes again in those moments of brief awakening, I found the time on the dash would skip vastly, sometimes mere moments to me truly having become hours. The early morning dawn and lights of the city had slowly vanished in my times of drifting away, and despite the daylight having made its appearance in the skies, my face, my eyes and my entire being as a whole felt heavy.

I had nights where I used to wake up like this, desperately reassuring myself everything would be okay and that they had all been just nightmares. Those visions where I lost myself, and visions of beasts that traced me down, and even seeing loved ones die, were all just that: dreams. It was my imagination... my mind trying to play tricks on me, testing my ability to regain control of who I was.

All this though? What just happened? That was real, and it wasn't just in my head. Without my brother, what would become of my family? Would my home be as it was when I left it? Despite that I knew those things were out of my reach, I continued to think about them and ponder what would have happened if things had gone differently. What if Dannen had never gotten involved in this robotics club, and by extension this research? Maybe it would have been different if he never called me, or even if he did, maybe it would have been better if I had refused Dannen's proposal, and told him this idea of his, this big step, was a waste of time. I could have said it was a ridiculous idea, and that his hard work wouldn't have paid off, and it would have been a failure. But I didn't. I had his back, and I was the one that gave him the okay. I should have known better.

The road ahead of us was now wide and open, and on each side was an abundance of trees and brush left unscathed by those wretched creatures that were now filling my world. I let off a sigh as I finally managed to gather my strength and sit up again, though drifting my gaze towards the window. I felt this was the least I could do for the guys; I didn't want them to see me like this. I didn't want anyone to see me at my lowest point. But despite my efforts, I could feel them looking at me, their focus sincere in intent but their reactions silenced by the situation.

"I'm sorry," I finally said. "I could have prevented this."

"There is no reason to apologize, Kailey," I heard Felix speak up. "Nobody could have predicted this. Your intentions and your brother's intentions were all of good will."

"Cy-bugs have always been a nuisance," Calhoun spoke up bitterly. "Even in _Hero's Duty_ they were a pain in backside. It always struck me odd that humans would even create such creatures. They are viruses whose sole purpose is to kill."

"But that's not just it," I said. "They are viruses, and have always been viruses. King Candy… wasn't he just a Program? Like all of you?"

"You humans don't realize it, but we are just as alive as you are. I think you're the only one who really sees that at this point." Calhoun began to respond to my question. "I would assume Turbo did what he did because he was created in the image of man, just like all of us. We have every emotion you do, and sometimes I guess, it can break us."

I felt myself cringed on the inside. How did we go so many years without realizing we had created a type of artificial intelligence? I wondered if Kevin Flynn, the man in the video realized this. That must have been why he ceased the project, or perhaps why he was never heard from again.

"I don't care if anyone of you thinks that way of me," I spat out, growing angry with myself. "We were messing with something that didn't need to be messed with. Our worlds were made separate because that's how it was meant to be."

"Hey, why would you say something like that?" Vanellope finally popped up again, though this time showing her own irritation. "Look here Princess Mope, our worlds have been closer than you think. _Together_ is the way it was always supposed to be, sometimes chances and mistakes need to be made."

"Chances that involve killing thousands of people?" I turned around to look at her, narrowing my eyes a bit. "You don't realize, ya'll, I'm not like you! I'm not a wrecker, a racer, a fixer or even a leader! What's happening is out of my control. All I am or will ever be, is me, a girl from the real world. The only thing I've done with my life is work, go to college and occasionally go to conventions in cosplay."

"Wait, what's cosplay?" Ralph asked from the back of the truck, his face ever so slightly sticking through the back window to listen to us.

"It's when you—ugh! Never mind! It doesn't matter!" I said. "There won't be cosplay, or anything anymore now that Turbo has taken over the world with his horde of Cy-bugs."

The truck became silent again for a brief moment. Everyone wasn't quite sure what to say to each other, and again that horrible isolation I was so accustomed to returned. It was then, upon sitting in that silence, that I saw how ironic this entire situation was, at least at the time being. I got what I asked for: an adventure, something different then sitting in my office, and yet I made it to where it was nothing but simply sitting there and mindlessly gazing out the window. I couldn't help but think though how wrong everything went, and that this couldn't have possibly been what I asked for.

"One thing I learned about being programmed as a soldier is that you can never give up." Calhoun finally managed to break the silence. "Whether you're in the game world or in the real world there will always be an antagonist; there will always be something that goes wrong. What you don't understand, Kailey, is that humans have potential. After all, your kind created us. If we're going to win, you better start having a mindset of a winner, simple as that. The pussy bawling and puppy tears stop _now_."

I felt a little embarrassed when she said that. I knew it was in her programming to be a little harsh, but I suppose I needed to be verbally whipped. Of course, things didn't go as I wanted, or as I planned, but it happened anyway. I had to take the challenge head on, but my only concern was _how_?

I was pulled from my train of thought when I felt Calhoun apply the brakes. The stop was so sudden that I looked up as quickly as I could, and upon looking through the windshield I saw where all the people from around the city had gone. The traffic of those who escaped the initial invasion were all here, at a complete standstill. From what I saw, I could see the road was absolutely covered in these cars as far as the eye could see, and upon stopping behind this massive traffic jam I quickly smelled exhaust. Horns tirelessly honked, and occasionally I could hear a yell from angry and frightened people, though no matter how much they tried to communicate to one another the cars wouldn't move.

"What do we do now?" Felix asked. "These people can't get anywhere. They're stuck."

"There are too many people trying to leave at once," I answered, though suddenly I felt my anxiety return. This situation reminded me of the time me and my family evacuated the city because of a hurricane, and even then it took an entire day to go somewhere that was only supposed to be a few hours away. But hurricanes fade, and I knew that sitting in one spot would only lead to disaster in our situation. All of those people stuck like this frightened me, and upon feeling my anxiety situate within me, a wave of horror struck me as I suddenly began to hear the pounding of wings. Everyone heard it the same time as me, and we all looked behind us to see in the distant skies a small dark cloud of Cy-bugs approaching.

"Get out of the truck!" Calhoun said, opening the door quickly and retrieving her large gun in her arms. I jumped out of the vehicle as quickly as I could, and began to gaze upward at the oncoming horde. There were so many people here, and with a handful of Cy-bugs oncoming, I knew there would be more than this on the way.

"What do we do?" I said anxiously, placing my hands in my hair as I looked over at everyone. I could see sheer terror overcome some of the people's faces through their review mirrors from within their car. The ones that noticed this cloud started gathering their things, and their children, and start running, but I knew this was only the beginning of the chaos.

"Felix, Ralph and I will stay here and try and fend them off," Calhoun ordered as she prepared her weapon. "Kailey and Vanellope, get out of here and run for cover."

"Wait—I'm not leaving you guys!" I responded. "Where do we go, how will we know to come look for you?"

"C'mon, we can help!" Vanellope then stated, tightening her little fists to show she was more than willing to help.

"No, you and Kailey don't have anything to defend yourself with—" Calhoun started, but suddenly was broken off when another handful of five stray Cy-bugs spat from the trees beside the road right at us and around the back most cluster of cars. It was this new attack of Cy-bugs that caused everyone who hadn't done so before to jump from their vehicles and run screaming, dodging through the milestone of cars like ants trying to dodge through rain.

"Let's get out of here!" Vanellope jumped up, grabbed my hand, and started running with me toward the forest beside us, although before we could even make it off the concrete, a Cy-bug jumped in front of us and blocked our path. Vanellope and I both let out a scream in unison and ran the opposite direction, though I could see immediately that was the worst possible choice we could have made. The Cy-bugs were corralling the humans that were trapped in the road and around the cars like cattle, and upon seeing this I realized there was nowhere to run.

Vanellope tugged my hand again, and steered me under another large truck, where we tried remaining quiet as Cy-bugs continued to seize their way around us. There, from under the truck, was when I could see perfectly what was happening. From beneath the wheels of the cars I saw people's feet scurrying in all directions. When the mass cloud of Cy-bugs made their entrance to the already confusing scene was when the screaming and cries became more intense. Awestruck from this sudden display, I saw those Cy-bugs start roaming through the crowd of humans, and maze of cars more aggressively.

One woman fell to the ground right in front of me, and for a split second as I hid beneath the truck, she stared me straight in the eye as one side of her head landed harshly on the road. She reminded me so much of myself that I felt my muscles tighten up, and an almost sickening feeling overcame me. Our destinies were different but our reactions to the situation were exactly the same. Her brown eyes held the weight of the world, mirroring my own exactly. Instantly, after we met gazes, she was suddenly plucked upward by the Cy-bug and driven into the skies and over the trees. Her scream stuck out like an out of tune flute among screeching violins.

Among this abduction, though, I could see what the other Cy-bugs were doing. The more defiant humans, the ones that weren't of choice to be picked off, where violently slaughtered and devoured.

"Holy, shit! Shit, _shit shit_!" I felt like I was about to have a panic attack as I chanted. "They're _eating_ people! And I don't even want to know what's going to happen to the people being freaking _abducted._ "

"Let's not stick around, huh? I've dealt with these things before; we gotta try and go around them!" Vanellope said, and again tugged my hand harshly to try and get us out from under the vehicle.

"Screw that, I'm not going out there!" I gasped with wide eyes.

"If we stay here any longer they'll get us!" Vanellope cried and slapped my arm as hard as she could. "Hurry, let's go!"

Before she could get me to move, a Cy-bug crouched down to look at us. Just as its green lights hit me I let out another scream, and tried crawling out from under the vehicle. I felt its claws grab my boot, and try and pull me towards it despite my efforts to crawl away. "It's got my foot!" I yelled. "For the love of God, it's got my foot!"

Vanellope grabbed both my hands as I started being dragged out, though even with her help it was easy for the Cy-bug to pluck me from under the truck and lift me upward by my feet, with Vanellope still attached as she held onto my hands. As I hung upside down, still clinging to the little girl, I stared into the glow of the Cy-bugs gaze. Looking at it then... it seemed familiar. My thoughts were proven accurate when I saw the 'Dell' inscription on the top of it. It was the one that had eaten my brother's computer.

"Vanellope, do something!" I yelled. The Cy-bugs wings started to flutter as if it was going to prepare to take off into the air. At that point I wasn't surprised if I was going to become one of the abducted individuals.

"I'm trying! I can't glitch in this place!" Vanellope cried as she smashed her eyes shut. Her face started turning red as if she was holding her breath, or straining harshly. I recalled Turbo ceasing to glitch once he came through the portal to the real world, resulting in his face defaulting to his King Candy persona. Perhaps it was the same for every other Program. Glitching ceased in the real world.

"It's not going to work, Vanellope!" I cried.

I felt the Cy-bug's wings start pounding now, and we started to gently lift into the air. I couldn't believe this was happening! I wasn't ready to be out of the game so quickly! I had a wretched feeling that the people being abducted, including myself, would only end up back to where Turbo was. I couldn't allow that to happen to myself.

Before I could even let out another scream, the Cy-bug was slapped aside harshly, causing Vanellope and I to tumble to the ground. Before we hit the hard concrete though, I could see our rescuer. It was Ralph, again.

"What are you guys doing, you need to get out of here!" Ralph cried as he helped us to our feet. "Get going!"

Dell, the Cy-bug that had tried attacking us, had gone flying over and smashed into another car. Instead of charging at us again it flew into the air and disappeared down the road, leaving us with lesser problems, and finally a way toward safety. Upon seeing Dell fly off I felt Vanellope grab my hand again and we started into the forest, leaving behind Ralph, who seemed more distraught than he was happy that we were able to get away from the sudden battle. As we entered the trees I was finally able to hear Calhoun shooting though the sheer mass of screams. The echoes of thousands of people, smashing cars, and Calhoun's gunfire bounced from tree truck to tree trunk, and only became muffled when we had gathered enough distance between us.

"The hell!?" I gasped finally. "That was way to close."

"Shut your pie hole!" Vanellope responded, clutching my hand tighter as a way to both try and comfort me and get my attention to shut up. "We need to be quiet, you never know if there are one of those things in here. We need to find a place to hide out."

I wouldn't open my mouth again for a long time after that. We continued through the forest, and with every few yards the chaos we left behind became quieter, being replaced with the chatter of leaves and crunch of sticks beneath our feet. This constant procession through the woods became repetitive, and at a certain point things started to look the same, no matter which way we started to move. It was only from this sense of feeling lost that I began to realize how hungry I was getting, and thirsty for that matter.

"Vanellope, we have to stop." I said, letting off a large sigh as I smacked my lips together, finding my mouth had become dry from all the screaming and running I had endured the past day and a half.

Vanellope stopped and turned to look at me, though I could tell she wasn't in the same situation as I was. As a matter of fact, I didn't even know if game characters required food, let alone ate in general. "I'll bet, Princess Mope, you look like you could use a fuel up," she said. "Too bad your world isn't made of candy like mine."

"Yeah, too bad," I responded sarcastically. "Just keep an eye out… I'm going to need to get my hands on something or I'm going to pass out."

"All right, I gotcha," Vanellope smiled a little. "But don't pass out, please."

Slowing down a little, Vanellope continued to walk with me, though every once in a while she would look up in my direction and continue to smile. I wasn't sure if she was making fun of me at this point or this was simply her personality, but overall it was quite awkward. "So, your brother, what was his name? I was passed out for a good while so I never got to meet him."

"His name is Dannen," I responded, although talking about him suddenly made me feel a bit weary, but at the same time it was good to say his name aloud again.

"Dannen?" Vanellope said, her smile twisting a little as she chuckled. "Who names their kid _Dannen_? Were your parents a fan of yogurt or something?"

"No."

"Really, because that sounds like a yogurt fan name to me. Dannen, Dannon… Ha!"

"Please stop, just...don't."

"Aw, c'mon! Fine, then… I guess you're still sore about him disappearing and all. Let's see, if you don't want to talk about your yogurt brother, how long did it take to grow your hair to your butt? I'm not really a hair person, but jeez, it would be amazin' if you stuck a bunch of candy through it in a braid or something. I'd give it a shot myself."

"Err, it took a few years, I guess."

"That's coolio. Hey, you drive right? Have you ever raced before? Oh wait, that's right, you said you weren't a racer. Well, technically you're contradicting yourself since you drive a car. I mean, you drive your car through traffic, or whatever, right? And you're trying to get to work on time? You're a racer and didn't even know it!"

"Look, can we focus on finding food?" I felt my left eye start to twitch. I normally wouldn't mind having random conversations with someone, especially a game character, but being bombarded with constant questions at this point was causing me to become irritable. All I could think about was finding a tall glass of water, and any sort of edibles I could get my hands on. It was thinking about this, when I looked up to see a building. We had come to another thin road, and beside it was a small convenient store.

"Thank God!" I cried as I started trotting towards it, letting my arms come upward into a claw like reflex as I started to the door, preparing to dip my hands into the many assorted snacks these places had. To my utter horror, however, the place had been ransacked of a whole lot of merchandise. I initially started to panic and flail my hands at my neck as if trying to cool myself off, though quickly found one large bottle of water in the fridge. I didn't waste a single second as I ran at it and started gulping down that precious liquid. Water never tasted so wonderful in my entire life.

"Hey, don't freak out to much, they have a couple of Dark Chocolate Milkyway left!" Vanellope called from one of the aisles. "No chips though, looks like they're gone."

"Thank heavens!" I cried through segments of drinking, and once I was satisfied I rushed over to where she was and started at those chocolates like a kid opening Easter Eggs.

"Ralph's never been a big fan of chocolate," Vanellope commented as I dug through what was left on the shelves and stuck them in my pocket. "But I think Stinkbrain just hasn't found the right kind of chocolate, ya know? I mean, jeez."

I wasn't really paying attention to her; I was too focused on my mission to horde as many food items as I could, though soon found that my pockets couldn't contain much more. "Damn skinny jeans," I muttered to myself. "The pockets are never big enough." I resorted to sticking things in my boots instead at that point. There was always room to improvise.

It was during intense thought of how, and where I was going to store snacks on my body, when I heard the sound of a door shut. I perked up from the shelves and looked over at the counter, hearing footsteps coming our way. It was only at that time I saw the television that was hanging on the wall, and on its screen, through series of momentary static, that I saw a picture of myself. I had to rub my eyes in order to get myself to try and understand why on earth my picture would be up on the screen like that.

"Is that my _Facebook_ default?" I stuttered as my lips hung with surprise.

"Facebook?" Vanellope asked. "Where the heck do you guys come up with these weird names for things? First there is cosplay and now Facebook? You need to explain all this stuff to me sooner or later."

My stare into the screen was broken once the door behind the counter swung open. From what I could see were three teenagers, bruised looking and covered in dirt, but very angry. They briefly looked up at the television screen and then back at me, their eyes widening with sudden alertness.

"It's her!" They the tallest boy of the trio cried. "It's the First User, the one King Turbo wants!"

"What are you waiting for, get her!" another said, and from his pocket he took out a handgun. Seeing this caused me go limp briefly, and in a state of panic I grabbed Vanellope's arm and started to run.

I managed to get out of the store, but I didn't make it much further when I heard the gun go off, the bullet bouncing almost right in front of me. Coming to a standstill, I heard the same boy cry out, "Don't move! Or I'll shoot that chibi character you're hanging with!"

Both Vanellope and I lifted our arms in the air and turned around to see the three teenagers make their way out towards us. I didn't understand why they were doing this, and why they were even helping Turbo whatsoever. "You don't understand what you're doing!" I cried.

"Shut your trap!" the only female of the group said. "King Turbo promised that if people did what he wanted then our friends and family would be freed."

"He's a liar!" I shouted again. "He's manipulating you, don't you get it? Nobody is going to be set free! He's going to do whatever he wants without any consequences!" Despite expressing this it didn't matter, the boy with the handgun continued to aim the weapon at me, and the other two still had scowls glued to their face. In all honestly I didn't know whether they were doing this simply because Turbo had forced them to, or because they wanted to. After what I saw though, why would anyone want to serve Turbo? It was despite all my negative feelings toward the situation, and outward explanation as to all the reasons why these kids were giving their will to the wrong person, in which they started walking closer to us. Although I kept my eyes on the approaching trio I could sense that Vanellope was frightened. It would be one thing if Turbo captured me—he had already stated what was to become of me. But, Vanellope would be different. Not only did they have a horrible and negative past, but she was a Program, too, and an overall threat to his new reign. No doubt that he would have her killed.

"Step back!" I yelled, taking a step forward and in front of Vanellope. "Do as I say and get out of here! You need to help yourselves; Turbo is the last person you want to submit loyalties to!" Again, they kept coming. I was getting worried now. I was in no situation to fight back, considering they had the weapon and I didn't. I didn't know what else to do, and with Ralph, Calhoun and Felix separated from us, I considered this a dead end at this point.

A rumble echoed through the surrounding forest, accompanied by clanks like large metal wheels scrapping the ground. This sound was accompanied by another set, and then more, and soon bright lights could be seen shining down the road despite that it was in the middle of the day. The group of teens, who once were completely set on taking me and Vanellope away, suddenly made a dash in the other direction out of fear, disappearing into the brush. I was dumbfounded at first, but soon saw what they had run away from.

A tank and other military vehicles quickly made their way towards us, two large trucks in particular coming to a stop right beside Vanellope and me. Two soldiers came out from the vehicle, and another man wearing a more formal sort of FBI outfit approached us. The more professional looking man eyed us for a moment, and then gave a nod to the two soldiers. "Get the Program to the testing facility. The human girl needs to be questioned."

"Yes, sir," The two soldiers responded, and walked over to us, one grabbing me and the other taking hold of Vanellope.

"Wait a second, what are you doing?" I asked. "Testing facility? What are you going to do to her?"

The soldier didn't answer but I could see fear overcoming Vanellope's hazel eyes. "Let me go!" she cried as she tried with all her strength to pull away. I didn't know what to do myself, but I definitely didn't want to be separated from her. I tried lashing at the soldier who had grabbed hold of me, but it was no use. "Kailey, don't let them take me!" Her plea caused me to look up at the soldier in desperation, and then to the man in the suit.

"You can't separate us, she's all I have left!" I cried aloud, but despite my cries the man didn't seem to care. With a stern look still glued to his expression I was placed into one of the large military vehicles, and Vanellope was placed in the other. The trucks we were placed in then departed from the line of other military transports, and down the road from whence they came.

Upon moving, I sat in the truck, though very much impatiently. The soldier next to me didn't turn to look at me not once, not even to answer me or update me on what exactly was happening. I knew my people would do whatever they could to protect themselves, but the idea of testing on Programs was in itself a monstrous thing to do. I could only imagine what poor Vanellope was going through in the other vehicle. She was probably just as concerned as I was, if not even more so. I tried keeping my attention out the window in order to pinpoint where exactly we were going. The only downside to this was the forest looked similar in all directions, and the only obvious sign of which way was which was the roads itself. It didn't take too long though for the vehicle to change paths, turning down a dirt road, then. Because of this transition from concrete to gravel, I began to feel more anxious. The truck rumbled like this on the new road for a good few minutes before I could see something different than the trees.

Here, in the middle of nowhere, was a huge facility, built with extremely sturdy material that seemed to far surpass any typical building I was accustomed to seeing.

"Open the doors," The soldier driving said into a radio. Before the trucks and out the window I looked ahead, and that's when I could see the facilities massive doors open. From where we were I could see a giant garage-like room behind these doors; it explained why the entrance was made so large due to the presence of tanks and other giant weapons that were often used by the military.

This garage-like entrance greeted us quickly with bright white lights that shined from the ceiling, highlighting even the darker corners of the large room despite its sheer mass. Once we came to a stop, the soldier grabbed my arm again, and escorted me out. However, as kindly as he was attempting to treat me, it didn't make much of a difference. Toward the truck that we followed, I could hear Vanellope hollering, and the soldiers begin to take her away. I watched helplessly as she disappeared behind another door to the far left.

"This way." The man in the suit came out of the vehicle and greeted me, though his serious expression remained stuck to his face. The soldier that was escorting me pushed me to follow the man in the suit, taking me down a different door and hallway then the one I saw the other group take Vanellope. The inside of the facility still remained consistent with its bright artificial light, and the floors and walls all looked the same due to being made with the same material and color. The echoes of our footsteps seemed to linger as we walked too, the dissipation of sound taking longer to finish, creating a lag that made me feel as if everything was moving in slow motion. With every turn and procession further into the building, I became more disoriented and couldn't figure out which way I had initially came in.

The man in the suit stopped and looked to a doorway I had not spotted beforehand. After he inserted a code into a password lock to the right of the door, it would open with a faint _whoosh_ sound, letting me know the doorway was sealed rather adequately. I wasn't prepared though when the solider shoved me harshly inside.

"Hey! What's really going on? Tell me now!" I said as I stumbled into the room backwards, looking at the soldier and the man in the suit who had both remained vague to me this entire time.

"Like I said, you're here for questioning. We'll return momentarily." With that, the door shut.

"You too, huh?" A voice spoke behind me, which caused me to turn around quickly to see a boy a year or so younger than myself. "Oi, wait a minute, you're Kailey aren't you?"

"Yeah, I am… who are you?" I answered, taking note of his British accent. I didn't really know anyone from England, considering I had never been out of the States, so it was odd that he would know who I was, unless of course he knew about me from Turbo broadcasting my picture to the entire world.

"What a pity. I've heard so much about you but I guess the recognition isn't mutual. My name is Steven, I worked with your brother on the Shiva Laser project. I'm the senior programmer."

"Wait, you worked with Dannen?" I asked again, as if hearing it the first time wasn't believable enough.

"That's what I said, hm? It was a real honor working with your brother and the rest of the team. I just wish... well, things went better than they did. I was going to head to Litwak's this morning but, well, all this happened. Ironic, don't you think?" He chuckled a little bit, but despite this I could see his disappointment. "Such a disaster."

"What happened to you? How did you end up here?" I asked.

"Boy, that's quite a story." Steven nervously adjusted his glasses that sat midway on his nose as he looked to the floor. "How far back should I go? I guess I can start from the beginning. Like I mentioned, I wanted to meet with you and Dannen at Litwak's this morning. I was going to bring Pierce and Harsha, two friends of Dannen, and myself who were also helping with the project. Harsha was the one who gathered the material we needed, and Peirce helped me considerably as my assistant programmer. Dannen was the backbone of the group, you could say… with his background in physics, he held us together and organized everything. Anyway! I'm getting off track here. So, Pierce, Harsha and I were on our way to Litwaks. We couldn't have been more than about twenty or fifteen minutes away when... you know what happened, happened. I saw those bug things come flying from the arcade. Traffic stopped immediately once it happened, which then caused everyone to start abandoning their cars. With nowhere to go the three of us evacuated the car, but by that point it was bloody chaos. Everyone was dashing and screaming, very disorienting… and that's when the Cy-bugs came after us. I wasn't paying attention enough, and within a second both members of my team were eaten. Those bugs just _ate_ them. It happened so fast and at first I didn't realize it was real until the bugs started coming after me. I tried running but they were everywhere! I really thought that was going to be the end of it, when I saw… well, _her_."

"Her?" I asked, "Whose _her_?"

"It was Chell, the Portal 2 girl. You know, the test subject?" Steven smiled when he said this. "I didn't believe it. She came out of nowhere, and got me out of there before I became overwhelmed. The amazin' thing is the Portal Gun works on any flat surfaces in the real world, unlike certain places in the game. Miles to get out of the city with her help were cut in half, and before I knew it, I was safe. She saved me."

"How did she manage to get out?" I asked. "Turbo ordered the Cy-bugs to destroy the Shiva Laser and the arcade!"

"I would assume certain characters could have escaped, based on their talents. As you know, Chell was always a fighter, an arrogant one at that. I guess that's what helped her escape in time. But now, I don't know what to think. Those soldiers took you in because you were caught with a Program, right? The same thing happened to us. I thought they were taking us to some kind of safe house, but instead we were separated. The military is going to try and study the Programs they find."

"What?" I gasped. "They can't do that! We need the help of Programs, not take them captive!"

"I've been trying to figure out a way to get out of here and find her," Steven crossed his arms over his chest in thought. "But these doors are shut tight. If only I had my phone, I could try and hack the system."

"They took my friend Vanellope, too." I added. "I can't allow them to hurt her. Maybe we can come up with an ambush? When they come to question us we'll take them out."

"Ha, you're funny." Steven chuckled. "You really think a skinny Brit like myself and some doe-eyed girl is going to be enough to successfully take out military-trained men?"

Steven was right. There was no way I could take out a soldier; I couldn't even wrestle my brother. "Then what?" I asked, growing concerned. "The longer we wait the worse things get."

"I know." Steven placed his hands on his forehead and closed his eyes. "Ugh, if only I had my phone."

"Well, I guess we're going to need to wait until they get back then," I began saying. "Did you by any chance see my brother when you were heading to Litwak's?"

Steven lifted his hand from his head and looked at me, though I saw his shallow blue eyes become filled with even more despair than he was already in. "No, actually," he said, "I thought he was with you."

I felt my heart sink again. "So, he really didn't make it, did he?" I felt my eyes try and fill with tears, but I held them back with all my power. "I didn't see him go, but I assumed the Cy-bugs got him. He was right at the laser when they came out. Turbo had me, so I couldn't save him. I couldn't do _anything_."

"Turbo? That sounds familiar. You mean that racer from _TurboTime_? That's who that big bug man was? I thought they... well, King Candy from that other game were different characters!"

Apparently Steven knew the arcade and its history enough to differentiate between King Candy and Turbo. "They're the same person," I stated. "Programs are smarter than what we thought. They're not only sentient but Turbo in particular became aware of code and changed himself. I don't think turning into a Cy-brid was his idea though. I think it happened on accident before I ever set foot in that arcade."

"Wow, that's—that's just amazin'." Steven grinned. "Who would have known. And now Turbo wants to take over the world with those bugs as an army. Too bad he can't even race anymore, seems kinda ironic. Unless, you know, he finds some giant car, but even then he doesn't have feet, so—"

Steven was cut off when a sudden siren began to go off. Red lights flashed in the hallways as the door we were held in unlocked. From the doorway I could hear people running, and passing the door quickly were soldiers and handfuls of men and women dressed in white lab coats _. "Evacuate the facility. Specimen has escaped lab boundaries!"_ a woman's voice called urgently on the intercom. _"Evacuate the facility, this is not a drill!"_

After the wave of people in the hallway passed us, I decided to head towards the door that had unlocked by apparent default. I could hear Steven trot behind me as we both looked out into the hallway. "What do we do?" I asked. "There is nobody out here. Maybe we can find Vanellope and Chell now?"

"Suppose we could," Steven said. "I wonder what the ruckus is about."

"Never mind that, I need to find my friend!" I stepped into the hallway and took a look down both directions. Each side of the hallway looked so familiar that I wasn't quite sure which way I should start.

"Oi, I really wish I had my phone," Steven said again. "But I remember I came in this way and everyone was heading that direction anyway, so that has to be the exit." He pointed to the left. "Let's go right, maybe we'll come across Chell and Vanellope that way."

"Sure," I responded. I was placing all my faith in Steven at this point. I wasn't very good with navigation whatsoever, so any help was exactly what I needed.

The two of us left the room and started down the right like he suggested. Towards this direction we were led to a lobby-type room with high ceilings, and a bridge that led straight across to another hallway. To our sides and below us was a completely different floor. The drop down looked incredibly high, but I could see a series of rooms below, each door having been opened due to the evacuation drill. With the place empty, the siren going off, and red lights flashing every two seconds, I began to wonder what happened. I had hoped that Chell or Vanellope managed to escape, but those odds seemed very slim.

"Hurry this way, we can't waste time," Steven said as he began across the metal bridge.

I followed quickly, leaving behind my thoughts as we entered another door directly across the hallway, and into another large room, though this time remaining as a single floor. Half of the room was encased in what I assumed was bullet-proof glass. The area behind the glass was highlighted with more intense artificial lights, and towards the back were many machines and lab items.

It was the sight of game upgrades and items sitting at the front most part of the glass on individual stands, which surprised me, however. All in a row, sitting like precious stones on museum displays, were very familiar items you would normally find during game sessions. There was the giant mushroom from _Super Mario_ , a floating golden coin, and many more down the course of the display area.

"Whoa, would you look at that!" Steven cried. "This is amazin', just look at this!"

"I know, I see it," I responded. "What are they doing in the real world, though?"

"They must have been dispersed through the Shiva Laser before it was destroyed. I'd imagine the military wouldn't just study game characters if there were power-ups like this. Maybe we can put some of these things to use."

"You mean take them?" I turned to look at him. "But...we don't even know how to use them. How do you know they would work?"

"Of course they'd work!" Steven responded with enthusiasm, and without me he rushed over to the glass rooms entryway. I decided to follow, and once inside I could see Steven eyeing each and every game item with intent, and consideration. Within a few moments he picked up three items, a stick-like object that I didn't immediately recognize, the Portal Gun from the _Portal_ series, and the third item: the Omni-Tool from the _Mass Effect_ series, which he would then place on his left arm. "There we go!" Steven chuckled. "I can use the Omni-Tool to hack the systems here in the facility. I just need to figure out how to calibrate it with real world technology."

"And that one?" I asked, pointing to the stick-object he had picked up.

"Oh, that one I want you to hang onto. If I'm not mistaken it's a 5th Generation Light Cycle."

"Say what?"

"Come on, you know. The bikes they use in that _Tron_ game."

"You sure know your games then, don't you?" I smiled a little as I took the stick, finding it rather amusing how knowledgeable he was about video games. I would have figured he'd know what he was talking about anyway, considering he was the genius programmer that recreated the Shiva Laser based on what little blueprints the team found.

"Now, I wonder how I get this Omni-Tool to work." Steven immediately drifted his attention from me and to the object that was now on his arm. As his fingers swept through the item, I decided to take a look around at the different items I was familiar with. One though, got my attention the most. It was towards the back, hovering above the platform like it would in the game world, and making circular turns as it floated there. Its symbol was like a lightning bolt around a sphere, and its colors were of an orange hue.

"Is this, the Varia Suit?" I asked aloud, as my eyes widened and my fingers wiggled. I was always a fangirl of _Metroid_ , and seeing this item for myself brought back all those feelings of playing my favorite series. I wonder if I could take it with us and figure out how to work it?

My hands drifted towards the item in intent to pick it up. Once my fingers wrapped around it, however, was when light started to encase my body and lift me into the air. "The hell? Steven!" I cried, being taken completely off guard as the item disappeared from my fingers and dispersed into the light that was surrounding me. I felt myself being covered, and before I knew it I was _in_ the Varia Suit. My vision was overtaken with the suits visor, and through the lightly tinted green screen before me, I saw Steven rush toward me. The visor started to give me more information as it loaded, like a radar, and a health bar.

"No way!" Steven gasped like a fanboy himself. "You were able to activate the Varia Suit!"

"I thought only Samus could wear it!" I asked through the helmet. "I don't know about this, I'm already starting to feel weird. Get me out!"

"Hey, hey! Just give it some time," Steven said as his eyes scanned up and down the suit, reaching his hand out to touch my arms. "The clash between the game world and the real world is filled with surprises. I suppose any woman could wear the Varia suit, considering it was programmed to be worn by one. I'd just be careful activating certain features, like the Morph Ball."

"Oh good God!" I cried. I thought about consequences with dealing with the Morph Ball. Samus Aran, _Metroid's_ main character, was programmed specifically for the suit, and she was after all almost superhuman in every way. The idea of being twisted into half my size in the Morph Ball sounded scary. I couldn't even stretch far enough to touch my toes anymore, so it was the least of my desires.

"Can you walk in it? How does it feel?" Steven asked again.

"Yeah, I can move. It's heavy though," I responded, though my eyes quickly darted from Steven to the radar that was on my visor. A yellow dot was suddenly approaching us, directly across the way and into the solid wall. "Er...uhh... Steven." I stuttered a little. "We're not alone."

Before he could ask me what I was seeing, the sirens that had been going off, along with the red flashing lights abruptly stopped. The power went out with a huff, and following came utter silence. Some backup lights came on in the place of the lights that had gone out, but it was nowhere near as bright as the original power grid. It was only in this silence where I could hear what was going on behind the wall. The echoing sound of pounding overtook the room, sending waves through the facility. With every hit I could hear the wall shake, then dent outward, and then violently burst open. Pieces of wall and metal flew outward from the hole, and there, standing in the newly created entrance, was a Cy-bug.

"What the bloody hell?" Steven cried. "They brought a Cy-bug in here to study? Has everyone gone mad!?"

"No questions, run!" I grabbed his arm and started running, though found that the suit seemed to put more strain on my muscles due to requiring more effort to carry so much extra weight. Immediately upon moving, I noticed my heart rate increase, not particularly because I was scared but because of the strain of carrying the armor.

I felt a tingle crawl up my back as I felt the eyes of the Cy-bug on us, and despite that I was running as fast as I could, I didn't think I was moving quickly enough. I heard the Cy-bug screech behind us as we went through the door, which made me let out a screech myself.

"Can you lock the door?" I said as Steven shut the metal entry behind us.

"You really think a locked door is going to hold back that thing?" Steven asked, as he peeked out the small window, eyeing the outside. I could see his blue irises jumping from one corner of the room to another, but he didn't seem all too concerned. "It's checking out the items," Steven whispered to me. "I think it's not after us as of now, maybe this will give us a head start."

Steven turned from the door, and then hunkered down below on one knee, turning his attention to the code-lock like most of the other doors in the facility had. Lifting his left arm, he directed the Omni-Tool he obtained to make contact with the computer lock. I saw the orange hue of the Omni-Tool light up, and like a hologram, a 3D map-like projection illuminated from its center. I then heard the doors lock with a quick clank.

"Actually pretty easy to use," Steven chuckled. "I just downloaded the map of the facility and locked the door."

"Easy to use?" I attempted to whisper this back but it came out a little louder than I thought. Steven lifted a finger to his lips while raising a brow to try and calm me down. "Sorry," I managed to settle my voice. "I guess I'm just not used to all of this."

"Dannen always said that the Shiva Laser was going to change the world." Steven responded as he sat up and backed away from the door. "I guess we got more than we bargained for."

"I guess so," I replied. Thinking about my brother always left images spiraling through my mind about what he looked like just before I went through the portal myself into the game world. Dannen had a smile on his face, a happy, and exited one.

"Hey, we need to get going." Steven took my arm, and started walking. This caused the imagine of my brother in my mind to break like glass. I shook my head slightly and started down the hall with Steven, attempting to leave those negative feelings behind me. Though no matter how hard I tried to steer my mind away from my brother's face that lingered in my consciousness, I felt like stopping and giving up. It was like I was at a mental standstill, constantly trying to pick up the pieces of the puzzle that were the memories of him. I didn't even know what I was doing. I didn't even know why I was _trying_. The only reason I wanted to find Vanellope was because I didn't want to be alone. I wasn't any use to anyone...even Steven here was far more knowledgeable, and adequate than I was.

"Okay, okay," Steven started muttering to himself as he kept his eyes down on the map on his Omni-Tool, frequently looking upward to make sure he wasn't about to bump into anything. "We must be close. The holding area should be down this way."

I had to admit, I was surprised. Steven's navigation skills, on top of his already extensive knowledge of technology, was of more help than I could have ever asked for. Then again, I suppose that was just because I lacked so many things in that field. For example, while driving I was never the one to navigate; I had to have someone tell me where to go, or a GPS at least. When it came to tech stuff, the smallest thing I could do was some HTML, though even that proved difficult if it wasn't already in a familiar format.

"There, this room!" Steven suddenly shouted, which caught me off guard. He perked up immediately and trotted over to another set of large doors, and quickly began to mess with the codes to open it. Once the door opened, he rushed in without another word and began looking down sets of locked cells that made the place look more like a prison then it did a facility. "Chell, where are you?" He continued walking down the aisles. "Oh goodness, there you are! Are you all right? I'll get you out in a jiff."

While I saw him get Chell out I suddenly heard a familiar voice call to me. "Kailey, is that _you_?" Vanellope asked from one of the cells. "Where did you get that bulky suit thing?"

"Vanellope!" I shouted and rushed over to her. "We'll get you out in no time, just hang on."

"There are a few others in here," Vanellope said. "Let them out, too."

"Sure thing!" I couldn't help but smile. "Once we get out of here we're going to find Ralph and the others."

"Kailey, I'm going to open all the cells, so stay back so the doors don't hit you," Steven said. He began to bring up the Omni-Tool again, and I could see him hacking the system. It only took about thirty seconds of his time for the doors to all swing open, letting out Chell, Vanellope, a Pikachu, and Sonic the Hedgehog.

"Thanks!" Sonic exclaimed the instant the prison cells opened. "That sure was annoying… anyways, bye!"

"Wait a second!" I cried, stretching my hand out in order to get his attention but the blue-guy vanished within a second, and disappeared into the facility, most likely attempting to get out himself. The Pikachu pretty much did exactly the same thing and rushed out of the cell room as fast as it could. I tried facepalming myself, but found my helmet stopped my hand quickly, causing a small clank sound. "How the heck are we going to make any progress if we can't even team up?" I asked.

Steven shrugged as he walked up beside me with Chell, who he had since given her Portal Gun back to her. "We got two team mates now, so it wasn't a total loss." He smiled as he lifted his arms in a way that showcased Chell. The dark-haired woman in the white Aperture tank top remained silent, as her facial expression stayed soft and neutral. Having played _Portal 2_ myself before, I always knew Chell was the silent protagonist type, though upon meeting her I didn't realize how strange it was that she didn't acknowledge me.

"So, are you really a mute or do you just keep quiet because you want to?" I asked.

"She's actually a mute," Steven intervened. "I've taught her some Sign Language, and so that's how she's been communicating with me."

"Oh wow," I responded. I had taken a semester ASL in college, though I wouldn't call myself fluent in it. I only knew some greetings, colors and other basic things. I couldn't help but be a little jealous of Chell, and how apparently she had learned enough Sign Language to talk to Steven in less than a day. I suppose it was part of her programming to be able to learn quickly, after all her sole purpose in the game was to be able to navigate, and solve puzzles through portals.

"Well, you guys," Vanellope started as she stuck her hands in her jackets pockets. "Don'tcha think it's about time we get going? I mean, the power did abruptly go out."

"Oh God, you're right." Steven seemed to jump from his giddiness upon finding Chell, and looked over at me with concern. "Er, you don't think a single Cy-bug will be a big deal for us, right?"

"Why are you asking _me_?" I cringed a little from under my helmet. "I've never actually taken out one of them before!"

"Oh, well, I assumed you have, since you mentioned you escaped Turbo, and all. I figured you'd have at least killed a couple."

"Are you kidding? The only thing I know how to do is run from those things!"

"You guys, shut up!" Vanellope hollered. "We can't debate if we can kill the Cy-bugs, we're just wasting time. We need to get out of here!"

Ironically, at that very moment, another set of sirens began to go off, accompanied by a large sigh of power, though instead of red flashing lights, green flashing lights began to engulf the facility. The woman's voice that had announced herself on the intercom came up again, though this time her voice was weary and she was wheezing.

"I'm activating—a pur-purification unit. The base will self destruct in T-minus ten minutes. The Cy-bug has multiplied, and eggs are starting to hatch. Those left inside the facility need to evacuate immediately. I'm so sorry. God help us all."

"The hell?!" I shouted as my heart began to pound. "We need to get out of here!" I could tell everyone was thinking exactly the same thing as me, because all of our eyes widened with a sense of alertness and fear. In comparison to the three of us, Chell kept her reaction at minimum.

With a quick dash we all left the way we came, Steven leading us with the help of the Omni-Tool. It didn't take too long, unfortunately, until we could hear the sound of Cy-bugs screeching in the hallways, this sound growing louder as we made it close to the entrance. I knew they were all around us, in the walls, the air vents, and in rooms, because my radar began to spike with an abundance of yellow dots. Being surrounded like this without actually seeing them made the anticipation of something popping out in front of us all the more terrifying.

Despite this we strove forward without incident—that was until we reached the room we had initially found the game items in.

The room had been completely demolished. Glass was thrown everywhere, and most of the game items were scattered on the floor now. Among the now dozens of Cy-bug eggs, and next to the hole that had been created by the initial Cy-bug from before, there was another large hole in the wall. The most obvious difference was that this new hole was at least three-times the size of the existing one, and upon gazing inside, I could see shards of metal, and electrical wires snapping apart, hiccuping with electricity and sparks. However, among all the destruction, I could hear the sound of a deep and unsettling growl.

We all remained extremely silent in that wide open room, gazing down the hole as we watched something begin to crawl out. A large green light began to blink like a pair of eyes as the enemy came forth, though once it reached our side of the hole we could see it was the Cy-bug from before, only now having grown huge. I quickly thought of reasons why it had gotten so big, and that's when I remembered the giant mushroom item from the Mario game. It must have eaten that mushroom, which is why it was so gigantic.

Staring upward at the beast we weren't quite sure what to do next. The Cy-bugs heavy breathing indicated it was staring us down, and at any minute it would launch to attack. "Kailey, do something!" Steven pushed me forward, now I suddenly becoming the one facing the giant Cy-bug.

"I can't do anything!" I responded. "Are you kidding me?"

"You're wearing the _bloody_ Varia Suit!" Steven hollered back. I could see time was running out now, and I knew that I had to do something. The Cy-bug seemed to react to my sudden stance, taking its own many legs and spreading them side by side so that it was more stabilized on the ground. Once the Cy-bug settled itself, its jaw shot open, and it let out another loud and terrifying screech.

I honestly didn't know what I was doing, but I felt a trigger of some sort at my right-hand where the arm canon was located. I wrapped my fingers around it and pulled, this reacting the power beam. I began shooting at the Cy-bug once I became comfortable with how the gun worked, though these shots didn't do much of anything. Instead of hitting the Cy-bug it only bounced off of it, every once in a while when the beam hit its mouth or eyes did it take damage.

But this wasn't enough, and time was ticking.

"Try something else!" Vanellope called from behind me. I began to panic as I continued to look into the Cy-bugs emerald lit gaze. It was so big that I didn't know what, if any of the Varia Suits abilities would take it out. "I think you can use Samus's Super Smash! Do it now, quit hesitating!"

Vanellope fussing at me, accompanied by the hint of the Super Smash ringed a bell. I remember playing as Samus in _Super Smash Brothers_ many times, and vividly remembered how overpowering her attack was. If it was part of the game it had to be programmed in the suit somewhere by default.

"Super Smash?" I muttered. "How the heck does that work?" Surprisingly, once I stated the move, my visor popped up with information regarding the Super Smash attack, and then set it in place. All I had to do now was pull the trigger one more time. "Okay, here goes nothing!" I yelled with anticipation and pulled the lock on the trigger.

I was absolutely not ready for the sheer mass of power that erupted from my arm canon at that very moment. I felt so many G-forces on my body, that my feet began to scrape the ground and send me slightly backwards. It was amazing that I was able to hang on...I guess adrenaline does make you stronger!

The light from the canons Smash filled the entire room and encased the Cy-bug, evaporating it and the walls behind it like fire melting ice. Once the power shot ended, the G-forces dissipated, and the suit began to fall apart and off my body. The weight of the suit upon lifting off of me felt like a big sigh of relief, but at the same time I felt bare without it. I already felt significantly lighter, and even a little stronger from having worn it, though once I tried moving my legs I felt light, and rather cramped.

"Let's get going!" Steven called, and even though I was still trying to regain myself he pulled me with the others to the next room. It was only then, after my huge Super Smash, that I realized that destroying the Cy-bug had some consequences. The metal bridge that led to the garage, and in extension, our way out, was completely obliterated. This was bad because now there was no way across, and the fall in front of us was at least two-levels down. We all came to an abrupt stop as we looked down, and then across the way, the exit just out of reach. Time was ticking still until the decimation of the facility.

"What now?" I cried, as I placed my hands again into my hair. "There is no way we can get across in time."

Steven smiled as if he was proud, and said, "You forgot about Chell didn't you? We can get across no problem." He chuckled.

It seemed Chell and Steven were pretty much in sync, because she immediately stepped forward, turned around, and shot a blue portal on the wall right above the door. After that, she gave Steven a nod, and _jumped off the ledge_.

I was so absent-minded that I gave off a quick cry, though upon watching her fall I saw her go with such fluent grace that my fear melted to amazement. Chell pulled the trigger to the orange portal at the ground directly below her, and once she went through, the blue portal she had first set spat her out, and she was flown across the deep hole and to the other side successfully, just in front of the doorway out.

"Oh yeah!" Steven cried as he lifted his arms in the air, as if riding a roller coaster, and jumped himself, ending up flying through the orange opening and out the blue portal above the door behind us, and across the long drop to the other side. My mouth dropped open when I realized it was my turn, and I took a deep breath.

"C'mon on, we'll go through it together, Princess Mope," Vanellope said with a smile as she took my hand again. I steered my eyes from looking at the drop and to the little girl, who had proven to be so much braver than me throughout this entire ordeal. Despite my doubt about this entire thing, from the beginning when I first entered the game world and to now, I thought, _if she can do it why not me?_

With a nod I agreed to jump with her, and that's when we both leapt from the edge. The fall itself scared me as we came real quick to the ground, though the orange doorway caught us, and we were flung out of the blue portal just as we entered it. I felt gravity change from our direct fall, to crossing the deep hole toward the other side. Throughout the entire ordeal I hadn't realized I was holding my breath.

Landing harshly, but unscathed, we were only given a moment to regain ourselves before we had to keep moving. The green lights above us continued to flash, helping us find our way to our exit, accompanied by the eerie siren that overtook the entire building. Though in between the pulses of light, and past the screams of the siren, I could still hear Cy-bugs. Their sounds could be heard even more so after my Super Smash, and I realized it must have been the bright light that caused the ones that survived my attack to become more active and begin to prowl the facility. Although I didn't have the Varia Suit's radar anymore I knew they were still all over the place.

"Quick, this way!" Steven yelled with urgency, and we made it through the opening gates of the facility and outward into the forest. Once outside, the scream of the sirens became more distant, and muffled, being replaced by the sounds of our running footsteps, and heavy and exhausted breathing. This silent run went on for what it seemed like an eternity, when within an instant, it happened...

An explosion overtook the entire base, engulfing the structure and whatever was surrounding it with fire, and causing it to collapse into the earth. I flung Vanellope and myself to the side, and behind a large stone, losing sight immediately of Chell and Steven as the dust and debris of the blast filled my sight. The forest became filled with a smoky fog, and instantly as my sight dwindled to a minimum so did my hearing. I heard a strong ring in my ears, like thousands of crickets going off at once. I felt myself collapse onto the ground from the sudden bombardment of my senses, and all I could hang onto was little Vanellope who seemed to be struggling just as I was.

That ringing lasted for a good few moments, then returning like a slow drift my senses came to. I heard cracking flames, indenting metal, and falling structures crash onto the ground. I had to take a moment to sit there—staring up at the foggy sky, my mind seemed to go blank and numb.

"Kailey! Vanellope!" I heard Steven call out to us, "Are you all right? Where are you?"

I managed to move when I heard him, helping Vanellope up as well. I poked my head from around the stone, and attempted to look through the fog. Just across from us, and a couple yards away, I could see Chell and Steven hiding behind another stone by a set of trees.

"I'm here. We're alive!" I cried back as I waved my hand. Steven and Chell walked quickly over to us, and we all gathered around each other in a circle.

"What do we do now? Do you have any ideas?" Steven asked me. It took me by surprise that he was now asking me what to do. I was a bit dumbfounded at first, but I tried to let out the first and only idea that popped into my mind.

"Well, we need to find the others I was with," I started, whipping my forehead with my sleeve. "Wreck-It Ralph, Fix-It Felix, and Sergeant Calhoun were initially with me, and I'm sure they want to find Vanellope and I just as much as we need to find them."

"That's great!" Steven said. "See, our team is coming together quite nicely, yeah? Okay, that sounds like a plan. We'll group back together and try to find a way to fix everything."

"For one thing I have no idea where they could be now," I stated, trying not to destroy his hopes, but also attempting to be honest. "And the only possible way we can fix everything is if we created a giant beacon that can zap and kill all the Cy-bugs, but that's impossible with real world technology."

"Oh, well… that's too bad." Steven lifted a finger to his chin as his smile vanished. "Let's just go step by step with this then. Play it by ear, if you will. We'll find the others, then we'll work from there."

We all nodded with agreement and started a direction that wasn't completely covered in parts and debris. Once everyone seemed to move along without so much as a blink toward where we came from, I couldn't help but stop and look behind me. The smoke was still thick but I could see the base now. It was absolutely nothing like it was before. The once promising architecture of military design was turned to dust, and the appearance of what it even was supposed to be was now a part of the earth. I was traumatized from what just happened, but it was despite that in which I felt my lips slowly curl into a soft grin. I may have been covered in ash, and I may have smelled like a campfire, but I made it out of there, alive and well.

I would have never guessed I was capable of such an amazing feat.


	5. People Are People (Part 1).(jpeg)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Due to the massive word count of this chapter, I have separated it into two parts. If you are reading this here on Ao3, but are familiar with my chapter 5 on the FF version of this story, please note that there is a P1 and P2 here to help break things up a bit.

It was among the silence of the forest that I begun to realize how out of place everything was. It wasn't that it changed physically, no, it was quite the same in those terms. The trees remained tall and sturdy, and high above rays of what little sunlight that made it past the clouds filtered through the leaves and to the ground below.

The scenery was quiet—too quiet. I now could plainly see how devoid it had become. I recalled often sitting in my backyard throughout the years, and even there among the many houses of the place I called home, I could see an abundance of life. The birds always sang for me, but here and now, their song had been brought to a deathly silence. It was strange to be out here, among nature and away from the city, but without the tranquil accompaniment of what really made the real world beautiful. It was like a painting with no color, an orchestra with no sound or an ocean without waves. Among our procession, I realized how awful this was. I had taken it for granted for so long, concerned only with my daily routines and duties, and never thought to once stop and look around me. I dreamed of adventure, but now that I was on one, I didn't get that sense of awe-inspiring, and romantic boldness that often came with what was within stories.

I honestly had no idea how long we began our procession blindly into the world. The smell of smoke still had a very faint linger in the air even after we made it further enough from the explosion site to escape the clouded smog that it had created. The amazing thing was, as far and as long as we had been walking, we had not come across a single Cy-bug. The lack of having something to fear turned my attention to the unknown, and even to myself. I often checked myself: my arms, my legs—anything so to know that I wasn't hurt. Although I was alive and breathing, I still couldn't shake the fact that I had actually overcome such a difficult obstacle. Knowing Vanellope, Chell and Steven were with me, though, is what made me feel more confident. I would have never pulled that trigger if it wasn't for them nagging at me. I probably wouldn't have even jumped through that portal if Vanellope wasn't so patient with me.

"It's getting late," Steven said as he looked upward. It had been cloudy for so long that I didn't even see a difference. "We need to find a place to stop soon and rest up."

"I hope you're not considering setting up camp," Vanellope said. "Any sort of fire in the middle of the night would be a dead giveaway of where we are."

"She's right." I frowned as I agreed with her. "Cy-bugs are very sensitive to anything like that."

"Oi, this just keeps getting harder and harder." Steven sighed as he placed a hand on his face, and closed his eyes. He was obviously tired like the rest of us.

"We can make it," I bluntly stated, though this fell from my lips quite against my will. "You know, I miss my warm bed, my shower... But we're going to get through this. After all, if not us then who?" I had to try and remember what I had just said, it was like another part of me that had been buried in myself was trying to rise up and attempt to comfort everyone. For the most part, I worried that I couldn't make it not a single step further, but for some reason my voice pushed out opposite statements. "Yeah, we'll make it."

"Maybe there's a cave or somethin' we can go into," Vanellope said. "Some secret hole in a rock, even. I lived practically my entire life under Diet Cola Mountain, so it could work."

"We haven't seen caves at all since we've been walking," Steven pointed out with a huff. "I'm not sure, it looks like we're just going to need to keep our eyes open. Something is bound to show up." After saying this he looked down at his Omni-Tool, his fingers quickly turning around as he made searches into it. He didn't bother saying anything, but from what I could tell he was scoping out maps.

"Wait, does that thing get freaking GPS?" I asked with a raised brow.

"Oh, oh yes it does!" Steven responded, though just barely. His attention seemed to be somewhere lost in between what he was doing and us. "I just figured it out. I had to connect it to a satellite."

"Good lord, you're controlling a satellite?" I placed a hand on my cheek as I tried looking closer at the Omni-Tool, completely unaware on how on earth he could work the thing, let alone hook it to a satellite. "You're some kind of mad genius, I swear."

Steven chuckled, apparently flattered of what I had just said. "I guess you could say that. Computer programming and... well, technology in general has always amazed me. It's what has gotten us this far as a species after all—oh, oh would you look at that!" His attention broke away suddenly as his eyes caught a glimpse of something ahead on the map.

"What is it?" The pitch of my voice heightened due to Steven's sudden exclamation. "What do you see?"

"Somebody lives just over these hills. The map is telling me there is a ranch just through those trees. Maybe we can see if somebody's home?"

"Would anyone even _be_ home?"

"Hm, you're right. But it wouldn't hurt to check, huh?"

"Well what are we waiting for!" Vanellope finally broke into the conversation. "I'm tired! And hungry! I wanted to ask Kailey if she had any of those chocolates she stashed in her boot, but melted and smashed chocolate doesn't sound very appetizing."

"Oh boy." I couldn't help but let loose a nervous chuckle. "I forgot about those."

In the mixed process of power walking, and looking down at the Omni-Tool, Steven stretched ahead just enough to get past the trees. Following enough in order to stay on his tail, we were soon greeted by a clearing in the woods, leading to a wide open field, and in its distance and as far as the eye could see this stretch of land continuing for a good few miles. It looked like a good distance away, but I could see another country highway slithering like a snake over the grasses in the distance. The most wonderful sight, however, was the single story home that sat just beside the clearing of trees. It looked like a comfortable home; painted white it seemed to fit rather well with the tranquil acreage surrounding it.

I found I couldn't remain standing there for long. It was breaking away from the woods, and finding this familiarity that gave me a sense of relief, and as I got closer to the front door, I felt myself about to finally topple over from exhaustion. I suppose I was getting ahead of myself, sort of like how when you are ready to land on the couch after a hard workout or long day at work. I felt my eyes tearing up slightly, and my lips wiggle from happiness just thinking about _rest_.

"Who the hell is out there?" a voice screamed from the house. Accompanying this scream soon after, the front door slammed wide open, and standing there was an elder man with a rifle in his hand. Once his eyes landed on us, the riffles barrel stared bluntly in our direction, and I found my sudden giddiness slip away in exchange for distraught. "Are you all a bunch of those monsters? Get going! Or I'll pump your guts full of lead!"

I raised my hands as fast as I could to show I wasn't of any harm, and the rest of the group followed with my example. "Whoa! We're not monsters," I started to explain. "I'm just a person, like you. So is my friend here. The others are… well—"

" _Monsters_ that's what! The same thing as those bug things! I don't want 'em here, get 'em on out!"

"No, no!" I felt my eyes get wide. "They're not going to hurt you. They're friends! They aren't like the Cy-bugs."

"Is that what you're calling those demons?" The man settled his voice just a tad, but it was still loud. "I don't care if they're Cy-bugs, people-like or what. They're all damned vida' game characters! I've cursed stupid vida' games ever since they came out! They've brought nothing but trouble! First destroying our brains and now they've started destroying the damned planet!"

"Hey, look you!" Vanellope stepped forward with narrowed eyes."We didn't come all this way to argue with some creep! Cy-bugs are bad; we're good. We're trying to figure this out, even! So you gotta trust us."

The man didn't drop the riffle just yet. I could see his dark eyes switch from one of us and to the other, as if attempting to decide what he was going to do.

"Please, we're tired…" I said with a sigh. "I've been doing nothing but running for the past two days, and just recently escaped a giant explosion. I haven't eaten anything but smashed chocolates, and I'm covered in ash. You have to believe us."

I saw his lip distort into a scowl, his gaze still flashing between his targets. It was a moment afterward, in which he finally settled the riffle down. "I guess you folks don't mean any harm. You can come on in. I have a chicken baking in the oven, and some rice on the stove." Turning around he would step into the house, stretching his arm out from the inside to hold to the door open. I took it as my cue that it was okay to go inside at this point, so I took the first step towards the house, leading everyone behind me.

"Make yourselves at home. There is a shower if you want to clean up, and a washing machine and dryer so you can clean those clothes. The food should be ready in about an hour." The elder man's voice was attempting to become more kindly, but he still had the vibe that he didn't trust us. I didn't know this was simply because he was a grouchy old guy or he was just acting this way due to the situation. Nonetheless, the sound of a shower was absolutely the most perfect thing I could think about. I normally wouldn't go a single day without showering and washing my hair, and it had been way past my curfew for that.

"Thanks, I think I'll do that," I mentioned, and disappeared into the hallway.

* * *

Immediately as I left the bathroom, the smell of dinner struck my nose. The air here felt fresh, and calming against my damp hair, and even something as simple as wearing my now clean clothes made me fall back into that familiar evening comfort I was so used to having every day of the week for the past twenty-two years of my life.

I began to hear the chattering of plates against the table, and chairs being moved around. That's when I knew it was about time to head towards the kitchen. The smell of that baked chicken grew more intense as I proceeded down the hallway, already making my growling stomach begin hungering more than it already was.

Turning the corner I could see the old man take a big spoon from a silver pot, scoop a cup of steamy white rice, and plop it onto one of the porcelain plates. Everyone was seated already, eyeing the food as if it were a campfire among cavemen. I felt my mouth start to water myself, so I quickly took a seat with them, joining in the silent stare. Once the plates were set and the food was right in front of us, we started digging in like a bunch of desperate fools. Chell and the old guy were really the only two that had restraint and poise.

"By the way, the names Aaron. Sorry I didn't introduce myself before. I was contemplating killing you after all."

"Nice to know," Steven said though a full mouth, becoming a bit anxious once that had been said.

"Well, thank you for letting us stay," I started, attempting to break the ice further. "I'm Kailey, that's Steven over there, Chell, and Vanellope."

"Kailey?" Aaron asked, his voice slightly returning to its intimidating tone. "I thought you looked familiar. You're that gal that's been all over the television."

I coughed a little as I slanted my eyes from him, and to my plate. "Yeah… I guess that's still going on, huh?"

"So you're the one that damned demon wants. That vida' game character has been talking about you all over the television. You're a wanted woman, you know."

I placed a hand on my forehead, attempting to shield myself from his apparently angry stare. "Yeah… that's me," I said through my teeth.

"I don't get the weird gamer talk, but you're apparently a _User_? First User? Whatever the hell that's supposta' mean. From what I've gathered you must be the one that caused all of this. Do you realize what has happened? What you've done?"

I raised my head up and looked straight at him. "Sir, with all due respect you can't blame me for this."

"None of this would be happening if you hadn't gone and did what you did!" His voice raised a little. "I don't know what compelled you, but lettin' loose a bunch of monsters was all your fault. My granddaughter was in the city when all this chaos broke loose. She never came home."

"What?" I asked. "I am so sorry… I didn't know you had a granddaughter."

"That's her up there." Aaron pointed to a photo on the wall of a young woman, perhaps a few years older than me. Her hair was full and curly and she had light brown skin just like her grandfathers. "Her name's Rachel. She just graduated the academy. This was her first month on duty as a police officer."

I could tell he was growing saddened by the look of his face. I didn't know what to say. I had the feeling this was the kind of man who wouldn't change his mind, regardless of what you told him. I felt my heart sink. Did I really do this? Was I really becoming the one thousands of people were suddenly blaming for all of this?

"If anything I should be the one to take blame," Steven finally intervened. "I was the one that created the machine that crossed the arcade world to the real world."

"In that case it's both of your faults," Aaron stated bluntly, and without care of our feelings. "All I know is I'm not going to see Rachel ever again. That monster you let loose is having those Cy-bugs, or whatever you call 'em destroy everything. People that aren't takin' his shit are being killed left from right and those stupid enough to agree to help him are becoming slaves."

The table got silent again. The sound of forks scooping across plates seemed to become more hesitant, and I could see Vanellope eating timidly from the awkward conversation. Chell continued her silent and proper poise, and acted as if it was all no big deal, making the rest of us look like we were moving in slow motion.

I swallowed rather harshly, unsure of what else I could possibly say to this guy, so I hunkered my head and started to try and eat again. Although I was on the spot, I wasn't going to pass up a meal just because I was uncomfortable. At times like this I had no idea when or if I was going to eat a home cooked meal like this again, so I tried pushing the conversation away.

Aaron gulped down his food quickly, and without really even looking at us, he walked over to the sink and placed the dish inside. "There is a couch in the livin' room and two spare bedrooms down the hall. Feel free to use em'." His tone was very monotone at this point. "I'm going to hit the hay myself. Just don't be snoopin' and getting' into trouble."

"Thank you…" I tried to mumble this but it came out quieter then I expected. His heavy work boots stomped on the light wooden floors and down the hall until the sound of a door shut, leaving the rest of us at the table in a sudden but rather pleasant relief.

"Jeez, what was with him?" Vanellope finally spoke up. "Talk about not having manners for guests, sheesh."

"He's just scared," I answered. "Everyone is."

"You're not seriously taking up for him? He was being mean to you."

"No, he's right. Some of this partially is my fault. I could have—"

"Coulda, shoulda, woulda, Kailey." Vanellope's voice heightened a bit as her hazel eyes stared me down. "You and Steven need to quit this 'my fault stuff', and focus on the now."

"Yeah, I know." I found my lips pouting a little; I felt like I wanted to slap myself. "We'll figure it all out."

Upon saying that Steven finished his plate and took a stand. Chell had apparently already been finished by this time and had simply been sitting there. "Er, I guess Chell and I will sit on the porch." Steven mumbled a little as he took Chell's hand and walked off, leaving Vanellope and I now the only people in the room.

"Obviously you can't blame yourself," Vanellope spoke up again. "You, Steven and your brother were only trying to make gaming more fun. I mean, imagine how it's going to be when everything is figured out? A world of gamers and characters alike living together!" Her hands raised in the air a bit as she explained this, emphasizing what she was getting at.

I smiled and couldn't help but let loose a soft chuckle. "That's how it was always supposed to be. That's how my brother would have wanted it." I tried blinking my eyes a couple times to rid of some oncoming tears.

"Well make it happen, you'll see. King Candy's got nothing on us! He may be a big, strong Cy-brid now, but hey, you got us! And we've got you!"

My eyes flickered up to look at her, and again. I felt myself wanting to giggle. "Yeah, you got me. I scream and run around a lot." Avoiding self inflicting sarcasm was enviable. I simply couldn't compare myself to her or Chell or even Steven. Vanellope had been the sweetest person ever since I was separated from my brother. In some ways her sarcastic personality reminded me of him. I was beginning to realize how lucky I was to have a friend like her. Not to mention I had other friends out there looking for me.

I managed to finish my plate, and stood up to bring it to the sink that was already piling with dishes. Although I'd never normally do chores on a whim, standing there looking at the mess reminded me of home after my mom would cook. This familiarity brought me to grab the sponge and the container of soap sitting to the left, and start washing, all the while gazing out the window and onto the porch.

Chell and Steven were sitting there, among the oncoming twilight that had apparently snuck up on me without my knowing. They were watching each other intently, moving their hands before themselves gracefully, and communicating in silence through Sign Language. Steven mouthed his words as he signed, but sometimes vowels would slip out, going from high to low pitches as he did so.

I watched Chell's pale-eyed gaze ponder over him intently, and it was upon looking at her reactions to what he was saying in which I realized she was starting to smile. It wasn't a typical smile, no. It was one of pure enjoyment. In the games, even if you saw her through manipulation of the portals, she never smiled. She was that silent protagonist, the one that seemed to lack emotion entirely. But here with Steven, she seemed happy and so did he. Their enjoyment of the conversation seemed to be so intertwined, and I began to realize how amazing this was. They were of different worlds, and of different creation, and yet their apparent bond was as intimate as any. I could see it in their eyes, and in their permanent smiles. Changing the world wouldn't just be about having fun playing video games, or even curing disease or pain, but it somehow was bringing more than that. I could see it happening now. Perhaps Vanellope was right when she said our worlds were always meant to be as one. I was the one that was wrong. All great things simply come with hard work, and sometimes, if required, struggle.

"Hey, I can go ahead and dry the ones you finish." Vanellope walked up from the table and offered her help, although I found this to be rather amusing.

"I thought you were a princess," I said with a grin. "Princesses don't do dishes."

"To heck with that!" Vanellope's voice cracked a little. "I'm no Princess, I'm President. There is a huge difference."

"That's not what it said on the manual I read up on."

"The manual may say I'm Princess, but President suits me much better. Besides, being Princess just makes you a wimp. For instance, Princess Peach gets kidnapped all the time."

"Hey, what are you saying?" I paused washing and looked down at her.

"I'm not saying anything, I'm just pointing out the obvious."

"Is that why you call me Princess Mope?"

"Well… maybe," Vanellope chuckled. "I was thinking about upgrading you to Princess Hesitate though."

"Okay, don't go there." I continued to smile, "And don't you dare ever compare me to a damsel in distress like Peach. Like no hate, but unlike her, I haven't been kidnapped."

"You almost did today. Remember Dell? And besides, you run and scream for help a lot so technically you fit the princess persona rather well."

I rolled my eyes. "Whatever, say whatever you want. I just blew up a giant Cy-bug today and wrecked pretty much a giant hole into that military base, so there. Is that princess enough for you?"

"Well what do you know, I guess you are a racer and a wrecker after all." Vanellope jokingly punched my hips slightly due to her height. "See, you're further contradicting yourself. Well, maybe not quite a racer yet."

"But you just said I was earlier today. I drive through traffic, getting to work. Remember?"

"But have you gone off any sweet jumps?" Vanellope raised a brow and smirked. "Pretty sure your roads in the real world are just going in straight lines. There is nothing difficult about driving straight."

I took my hands out of the sink, grabbed the plates that were cleaned up, and shoved them in Vanellope's arms. "Just get to drying, _President,_ " I stated harshly, but still carrying a grin on my face. "I'm done with my part; I think I'll go to bed. I'm tired."

"All right then." Vanellope took the stack willingly, although she still carried her joking smirk. "Goodnight, _Princess_."

I couldn't stop myself from giving myself another facepalm. Instead, from there, I just kept walking and disappeared into one of the guest bedrooms. Walking into that room felt as close as it would have been if I were to walk into my own. Immediately as I lay down, I gave off a sigh. The sound of the ceiling fan above me let off a very mild hum, though this hum being exactly what I needed to further lull myself to sleep. It was better than silence. It had always been better for me to sleep with a fan on.

As I watched it spin around, and its breeze continued to hit my face, I shut my eyes. That hum seemed to grow louder and louder as I lay there, and then within a sweeping instant my shut eyes opened to a dream. I could tell it was a dream, obviously. Suspended in air and flying forth I felt the continued air hit my face, though now flowing across my body as if it was carrying me. The dream around me showed a field, as green as green could ever ge0,t with a sunrise that sat over a cluster of hills in the distance. I didn't want to leave this place: this world of my mind. For once I was at peace, and I wanted it to stay that way. There was no gravity to pull me down, or monsters chasing after me. There weren't obligations or duties to attend. I was free, and I liked it.

However, the more I thought about being free, I began to feel gravity. This increase in weight around me was gradual at first, like adding brick on top of brick. I felt my flight dwindling, and from my rising concern, the earth far below me suddenly collapsed and began to fall into a giant sinkhole. The hole was massive and dark, and it started dragging the field and the trees towards it.

It was only when I flew directly over it that it started to take me, too. The pull was quick, and from my airborne state I was plucked from the skies, and started to fall. The blackness of the sinkhole grew larger as I plummeted towards it, and once I fell deep enough into that blackness, I hit the ground, although remained in the dream.

I stood up out of caution, and looked upward to see the entrance to the sinkhole. The difference could not be better described than night and day, and black and white. The lights rays from above continued to reach downward into the hole, highlighting the center into a spotlight as if I were on a stage, though among gazing at the depths around me, I saw I wasn't alone.

Crouched and hugging his knees was a small man, about half my size, all in white. I couldn't see his face, for he shielded it from me by hiding it in between his arms, and his head was further hidden from me from behind a white helmet. I felt compelled to approach him, and began walking towards him slowly.

My arms began to lift as my hand reached out to him. "Hey, are you okay?" I asked, though my voice filled the cave like a voice would do in an auditorium, flowing from my point of origin and outward like a wave. Once I got close enough to the short man in white, I placed a hand on his shoulder, though this triggered some sort of explosion of emotion from him. Turning around he grabbed my arm with both hands, and stared me in the eye.

I felt my eyes widen when I realized I was now looking at Turbo in his true form.

"Don't leave me here!" he yelled. In his voice was a mixture of both irritation and plea, but as his voice projected outward into the hole it became angrier, and with the changing tone of voice, so did he begin to change. Turbo's true form morphed into his King Candy persona with a quick glitch of red and orange, this causing a jolt to pass through my own body. I pulled away, and tumbled backwards, however remaining on my feet as I backed off.

"Just listen to me," I tried telling him as sincerely as I could, though he bashed my attempts at kindness as the echo of his first statement returned, and filtered through him again in another yell.

"You'll never leave!" This time it was directed as a threat, and from there he shouted words he had spoken to me in reality: _"I will make a spectacle of you! Don't concern yours'thelf with the like's those any longer. I will be all you need!"_

From his words I could see a Cy-bug creep up behind him, its eyes at a gleam from within the darkness. It only took an instant for King Candy to disappear into the creatures mouth, and like a swirl they began to merge and grow, forming him into his Cy-brid form.

Frightened from his stare and grin, I stepped back even further and when I felt my feet were steady enough I tried to run. Despite my efforts to escape, however, I ran into what seemed to be an invisible force field, marked by the edge of the spotlight that illuminated the room. I tried knocking at the field, kicking it and punching it, but it did no good. I was trapped there with him, with only the light dangling itself above us, and the darkness swirling like clouds of smoke from beyond.

The dream felt like it only lasted a couple of minutes. I had shut my eyes as tightly as I could in the dream, and once I reopened them I was back in the bed. The hum of the ceiling fan returned slowly, as if I was coming out of water. It took me a moment or two to realize that there was a faint light coming from outside.

Laying there I professed that it couldn't have already been morning, though my thoughts were proven false when I smelled eggs cooking on a pan. I didn't quite want to sit up just yet; grasping onto what was left of sleep was all I really wanted at this point, though it seemed either in my mind or in my waking world I would be haunted in some way or another. I felt like punching the pillow, or the wall even. Frustration was finally starting to sneak up on me, though I didn't want to have a fit here. It was too peaceful for that, I had to control it.

Swallowing what anger I had, I sat up, slipped on my boots and headed back to the kitchen. Walking in seemed like déjà vu. Everyone was at the table, and Aaron was at the stove preparing the meal, and with him that same awkward silence that seemed to overtake everyone else, too. I could see everyone was still tired; their eyes stared down at their empty plates, though lacking that hunger from the night before. They hadn't even looked up to greet me when I had walked in, their dead gazes filled with so much weight that their eyes didn't even bother to shift.

I held back any attempt to tell them good morning. I simply joined in, plopping onto the chair closest to me, and waited for Aaron to finish the eggs that he continued to scramble and toss cheese into. The toaster to the left of him popped up two pieces of bread, toasted just enough before it started to burn. The mixture of smells would have normally made me ready to eat, but I just wasn't feeling it.

"All right folks, here ya go," Aaron said, and brought the large pan over and started dumping the food onto our dishes. Everyone managed to move up in their chairs from this action, but overall it was still quite pitiful. Aaron eventually got to me, though, and gave me extra egg than I would typically eat.

"You should eat up, you're too skinny," Aaron said bluntly. "Not to mention you've been runnin' 'round all day yesterday."

"Thanks," I managed to muster as I looked at the food in front of me. I grabbed the fork next to me and started to bring a bite of food toward my mouth, though before I managed to take the first nibble I heard a hum overcome the quiet room. At first it started softly like the fan, though grew stronger and more powerful. I could see everyone's eyes shift upward to finally look at each other, and even my own gaze seemed to spin in between persons.

"What the bloody hell," Steven muttered, suppressing his exclamation as much as he could. "Cy-bugs!"

"You fools be quiet!" Aaron's voice was aggressive as he tried to pay more mind to the oncoming series of hums. I could hear more coming from over the trees from where we came from. Whenever I figured I heard two or three, another set accompanied that, and then another, until I could hear a handful hovering directly over the house. A hard landing bumped the porch on the outside, and some of the closer humming of wings ceased, though being substituted for the eerie green light of the Cy-bugs eyes.

Aaron moved swiftly but silently to the window in front of the sink, and closed the blinds. After making this action he reached from behind the counter, and grabbed his riffle, remaining cautious as he aimed from the window, and to the door.

The rest of us remained as still as we could. From my once tired state I now was wide wake and in a state of alertness. I tried clamping my lips together and breathing through my nose cautiously, as my muscles and back straightened and tensed. With wide eyes I tried with every ounce of my being to conceal my emotions. One yelp, one harsh breath, would probably be all it took to get the Cy-bugs attention.

My eyes quickly wandered over to Chell, who was making hand signs to Steven. A cringe set over her teeth as she signed to him, and then quickly pointed over across the way to another window behind the couch. Although the curtains were over it, a slit between the fabric revealed the outside.

That was it. That was all it took.

Another Cy-bug landed harshly on that side of the house, and its jade lights flickered like a blink as it looked into the house. Like deer caught in headlights, we simply stood there astonished, though upon looking at the Cy-bug, I could see its wings begin to flutter as it prepared to launch forward. A screech erupted from deep within its mouth, and within an instant it rammed through the window, and the wall of the house.

"Get going!" Aaron yelled. "You guys started this, so you end it!" After his large and intimidating voice finished fussing at us he shot at the Cy-bug. The sound of the riffle sent a quick and sharp prick into my hearing, and caused me to cover my ears as a reaction. We all fled the kitchen and through the front door, hoping that the other Cy-bug's didn't pluck us up from the ground.

We ran a few yards from the house, hearing the hums and screeches of the Cy-bugs grow more intense now that we had fully revealed ourselves. I turned my head for a split second, and saw the bugs attack at the house as if it were a bear after bee's honey. Through their cluster I could hear the constant riffle fire quickly stop shooting, and then saw one Cy-bug take Aaron into the air, and fly away with him over the trees. I knew that since he was out of the picture so suddenly the Cy-bugs were bound to come directly after us now. I panicked for only a second, that is, until I realized I was still carrying on me the Light Cycle Steven had given me from the facility.

I really had no idea how the thing worked for the exception that it required a running start to trigger the mechanism. Putting all faith into what little information I had, I didn't waste a single second as I rushed as fast as my legs could take me, and ahead of the group. When I figured I had started moving at my best, I leapt. I could feel the object in my grasp begin to transform, and from under me the Light Cycle with a white hue appeared under me, taking off with me just for a brief moment before I was able to gain control of it.

"Everyone, get on!" I yelled. There wasn't much room on the cycle; actually literally no room, but I was desperate. We needed to get out of here. "Hurry up!"

Vanellope squeezed in front of me as Steven crawled behind me in a tight fit. Chell bravely placed one foot on what was left of the seat, and mounted her other foot on the back most of the cycle, aiming and steadying her pose just enough to where she could use the Portal Gun if need be. I was worried for a brief second that she would fall off, but she was Chell after all. If she could navigate portals and balance on light beams over toxic gas she could do this.

"I've never driven a bike before, but here it goes!" I yelled, and with a turn of the gas I blasted us forward. I could hear some of the Cy-bugs hums begin to change. It was as if the light glowing on the Cycle was hypnotizing them, and ridding them of their more aggressive states. However, this could be just as bad, if not worse, so I sped up the cycle quickly, getting a feel for it rather easily. It rode with good balance, unlike how I imagined motorcycles in the real world drove.

"They're still on our tail!" Steven cried, giving off a slight whimper. I couldn't look behind me at this point, but I took his words seriously. I sped up the cycle faster again, boosting its speed from the typical eighty I was normally used to going, and higher into the mid hundreds. It could have gone faster, very much so, but I wasn't sure of myself. The faster I went on the grassy terrain the more wobbly it got, despite it's easy handling. I was doing it again, doubting myself —hesitating.

"Kailey! Watch out!" Vanellope elbowed my stomach to get my attention. Before us, I didn't see a trench separating the highway in the distance. I didn't know if I could make it at this point, so I contemplated turning a different direction. It was before I could respond in which Chell shot a portal toward the other side where there was a stone located.

"What do I do?" I yelled anxiously.

"She says to go off the jump!" Steven yelled back. "She'll shoot another portal on our way down toward the trenches inner wall as we go down!"

I took in a quick breath, partially gasping as my lips straightened in an intense line, and my brows narrowed into a furrow. I wasn't about to question Chell, but I was still in my midst of worry. Driving in a straight line was one thing, like I did in my daily life, but going off a jump?

"Go faster or it won't work!" Vanellope yelled.

"I'm going!" I cried, and twisted the gas further, bumping the bikes speed past two hundred. The field passed us like a flash, and from the speed I could feel my eyes start to water. I wanted to shut them, but forced them open with what will I had. Among our pace, the Light Cycle finally left the ground and started descending the trench, heading straight forward to the rocky wall a few yards below. Chell acted quickly, and I heard the plop sound of the portal guns shoot, and another portal opened in front of us. Passing through, the depths of the trench transformed to the other side of the field, and from there it was onto the highway with ease. Thanks to the direction change from the portal, the Cy-bugs were left back at the crack in the earth, leaving us with an adequate getaway from there. I finally was able to let off the gas a little, and relax my shoulders.

"Let's keep moving!" Steven yelled at me through the wind. "The more distance we put between ourselves and the city the better!"

I couldn't turn around to look at him. The wind was so strong from our speed that I didn't bother responding. I simply kept a steady grip on the steering, and continued down the empty highway, and towards the sun that was beginning to peek over the distant road.


	6. People Are People (Part 2).(jpeg)

The passing yellow lines of the road, and the constant blast of wind at my face was getting repetitive. It must have been hours traveling, and from my perspective I was able to witness every second of the sun rise over the horizon. I didn't know how long Steven contemplated on traveling before, though I wasn't planning on stopping. I to wanted to put as much distance between myself and the city. The idea of getting caught by the Cy-bugs and being brought back frightened me. I had no idea how much damage Turbo could have done in the course of two days with thousands, maybe now upon millions of Cy-bugs at his disposal. I tried not to think about it. I didn't want to ever see what he was doing to my people.

The road before us started up a slight hill, and then down again. From that point I could see cars parked alongside the roads, and passing by was a sign that foretold a town was just ahead. I was a bit concerned that cars were stopped all along the highway here, parked as if people were flocking to this place and grouping. Personally I would have continued onward, though I soon found the reason for all the stopped cars. The town's entrance was blocked by a giant wall built with large barrels, broken down looking cars and other heavy items. I decided to slow down to a stop then.

"Guys, get off." I looked at the town from the distance, and nudged everyone.

"Wait—where are we?" Steven apparently had drifted off. "Oi, a town! How long have we been driving? These people should be evacuating!"

"I was thinking the same thing," I replied, and waited for everyone to get off the Light Cycle. Once everyone had gotten on their feet, I dismounted myself and returned the cycle to its dormant form, and stuck the stick in my boot. "I don't like this."

"They're probably just scared," Steven said, adjusting his glasses upward onto his nose as he squinted, his eyes now looking at the town in the short distance. "Let's go see what's going on. Maybe we'll find some help!"

I was just about to start walking when, upon hearing Steven's suggestion, somebody else spouted out from the side of the road and right at us. The woman was wearing a police uniform, and her hair had been completely buzzed off, giving me the impression that she was a boy at first. A shot gun stayed glued in her grasp, as she aimed it at us, a scowl growing on her expression with every passing second.

"Who are you? Programs? We don't want you here!" she yelled fiercely.

I raised my arms in the air out of caution, though found that I was paying more attention to what she looked like rather than being threatened with another weapon. She was _very_ familiar looking. "No, we're not Programs! At least me and Steven here aren't." I wanted to be honest. Lying wasn't going to get me anywhere.

"Oh, is that so?" The woman narrowed her eyes in distrust. "What the hell are you hanging around with Programs then for?"

"They're friends!" I exclaimed. _Great, another Program hater_. "These two have done nothing but help me. If it wasn't for them I probably wouldn't even be standing here right now."

The woman frowned at us for a long few moments without saying anything. In those seconds of silence I felt like I was in a state of déjà vu again. We had literally just been in a situation like this, and she was treating me the exact same way as Aaron had done.

"Wait a minute here," I stated finally. "You wouldn't happen to be… wow, this is going off a milestone." I felt myself wanting to laugh, but I managed to get the question out anyway. "But are you Rachel?"

The woman's eyes lifted from their glare as she raised a brow. "How do you know that?" she said.

"So you are Aaron's granddaughter!" I managed to smile a little; at least now I knew who I was talking to. But the smile melted once I realized that I had literally just witnessed her grandfather get taken off by the Cy-bugs. "Wow, small world, huh?" I tried burying my concern a little, if she wasn't going to ask I didn't want to have to tell her.

"You know my granddad?" Rachel asked, lowering the gun slightly. "Funny, he never talked about you."

"Oh really," I tried holding back a cringe. "Isn't that too bad."

Her gun raised quickly, as if she was looking right through me. "How do you know my granddad? You haven't seen him, have you?"

Oh boy, this was it. "Funny you ask." I chuckled nervously. "We actually just came from his place. We needed a place to stay and he helped us."

"He's alive then?" Rachel asked, her eyes looking glazed over with hope. "I couldn't come home… for rather obvious reasons. When those monsters took over I had to help as many people as I could."

"Well, yes and no." I seemed to stutter a little. "See, er, we were attacked."

Rachel's hopeful eyes reversed to something of a wild cat. "What!?" she crowed. "What happened?"

"Cy-bugs found the house and attacked us. Your grandfather was taken away…"

Again Rachel's expression morphed, this time with a mixture of some sort of relief and concern. "At least they didn't kill him… he has a chance," she said. I watched her eyes shift from one side of the ground to another before she looked up at us again, though her dark eyes were continually filled with a deep and poorly hidden irritation. "You guys should come with me to the town. It'll be safer there."

"Wow, thank you!" Steven stepped forward. "Grouping sounds good."

"But first." Rachel sat upright and turned the barrel of the shotgun away from us. "First, I need to collect any weapons you might be carrying."

I hid my reaction as best as I could. Why would she be collecting weapons? For the most part I could understand her concern with Chell's Portal Gun, since people were taking Programs as a threat, but taking away weapons from actual civilians? We'd be like sitting ducks.

"Well, it's not really a weapon…" Steven spoke up and took off his Omni-Tool. "But it can be used as one."

Rachel took it from him and looked at Chell, who reluctantly handed over the Portal Gun. When Rachel turned her attention to me she asked, "How about you?"

It wasn't a weapon, no, but the Light Cycle was something I felt that I couldn't just hand over. I tried swallowing slowly, as to not reveal that I had something on my persona at the time being. I was already starting to have doubts in this. "I've got nothing," I stated clearly.

Rachel looked at me, deeply, as if she was studying me. I remained as still and casual as I could, and it was this effort that made her pass me up. "Very well. You guys come on."

When she started walking, at this time putting a few yards between us I let off a sigh and started to follow. Once we arrived at the town, I could finally see what lengths and efforts had gone into making the blockade. Above the wall itself were a couple of armed men, but other than that, the town was pretty much open. Even walking in I noticed that people were acting as if nothing was wrong. They had to know the Cy-bugs were on the move, right? On top of it the fact that weapons were being deprived from them at a time like this seemed most concerning.

"Make yourselves at home," Rachel spoke up. "Don't be a stranger."

"Will do!" Steven said cheerfully and turned to me. "Ya know, I think I'm going to take Chell to have a look around. This place seems nice."

"All right," I said, and watched them walk off together. I tried shifting my gaze around the small town, looking at the buildings for any place that I may want to venture into. The only place that looked most comforting was a little diner. "Well, at least I can get a glass of water or something to eat. You wanna come, Vanellope?"

"Sure." She shrugged. "Might as well pass the time somehow."

I simply gave off a nod and started into the little shop. On the television that was hanging on the wall an old cartoon was playing, apparently from a cassette tape by the look of its quality. It was better to see that then my picture anyway. Anything was better at this point then being reminded that I was being hunted down.

As Vanellope attempted to climb up onto the stool, an old woman approached me, apparently the one who was running the shop. "What can I get you, dear?" she asked.

"A glass of water, please. One for my friend, too," I said quickly.

The woman turned around and started filling up two glasses of water while Vanellope finally settled in a seat next to me. "So, how are you holding up?" she asked me.

"To be honest? Not all that good," I stated. The woman placed our glasses in front of us, then went around the serving bar and to a back door. I felt a little more comfortable at this point to speak my mind. "I don't feel comfortable here. This place isn't right."

"Why do you think that?" Vanellope asked. "For once everyone seems happy."

" _That's just it."_ I found my voice was falling into a whisper. "Everything is too normal around here. People need to be evacuating, they need to keep moving. Those swarms come up fast. Not to mention that blockade will do absolutely nothing to protect the town. Has everyone forgotten that Cy-bugs _fly_?"

"Yeah, that's true," Vanellope said casually. "I just think everyone is scared. They want to hold onto what's normal for as long as they can."

I tapped my index finger on the side of the glass, looking through the clear liquid and into the distorted reflection of items in the room. A single drop of water from the top of the glass slowly began to fall, inching closer to the wooden counter. "We can't stay here long," I said. "We should get a fill on supplies, and then keep moving."

I could feel Vanellope's eyes on me. A concerned expression seemed to cover her face, and from the corner of my eye I could see her large hazel eyes shifting over me as if pinpointing every single fear I was holding back. "You need to calm down," she finally stated. "If you think about it too hard then of course it's going to make you feel worse. We'll get out of here soon, don't worry. Just take it easy."

 _If it were only that easy,_ I thought. I managed to take my first gulp of the glass of water, and then another. I enjoyed every last drop of it. Again, it was the small things I was worried about losing; it was the things I had taken for granted that I knew wouldn't last long.

"Attention! Please head toward the front of city hall. Another annual meeting is about to commence!" The sound of Rachel's voice spoke loudly through a megaphone. I could see people immediately begin to drop whatever they were doing out on the sidewalks, and streets, and head toward the innards of the town. I briefly watched them, pondering if I were to go myself.

"Maybe they'll clear some stuff up here," Vanellope suggested. "Maybe these people have a plan."

"Yeah, maybe." I nodded, and sat up and headed to the doorway. Once I poked my head out of the diner, I could see every single person in the town head toward the center of the strip, where a large city hall stood in its centerpiece. Before the building, bleachers had been set, I suppose in order to seat everyone, and Rachel seemed to be directing people. It was also there in the distance I could see Steven and Chell already lining up to take a seat.

"Come on," I told Vanellope, and started that way. Even as I passed by, I noticed how the civilians were looking at me, though more importantly, how they were looking at Vanellope. I knew why... after all she was a Program. It was taking me long enough, but I was becoming more and more concerned by the day how people seemed to hate Programs. They were associating everything the Cy-bugs had done with them, and it didn't seem fair.

"Hey, Kailey!" Steven waved at us from the bleachers. "Go ahead and sit with us." He seemed cheerful, completely unaware of the same expressions many of the civilians were giving Chell, although she looked more normal then Vanellope did. It was like they knew which kinds were Programs, and which ones were human.

"Do you know what's going on?" I couldn't help but ask.

"No idea," Steven responded. "These people seem really organized, they probably have an idea of what to do."

Taking a seat, I watched everyone finally settle down. Once the last person found a spot, Rachel took a stand in the center of the square. Beside her were two other armed men.

"Times are not good, I'll admit that," Rachel started. Her voice was quite inspiring yet her expression seeming completely opposite. I could tell she was scared, too. "But we can't give up our lives. King Turbo has sent masses of Cy-bugs scattering through our world, and the land they cover is getting larger by the minute. I feel the need to remind you of the decision you need to make to not only save yourselves, but he people you love and care for."

I scratched my head as I listened. Did she just call him _King_ Turbo?

"We've put up all our defenses to keep us safe, so that in our last hours we don't need to run in fear. We wanted to provide a safe haven; one last place of familiarity to remind us all that humanity is not lost." Rachel paused momentarily as she eyed the mass of people sitting in the bleachers. "But no matter what, that decision is going to need to be made. Are we to live or die? I'm telling you all, in order to keep humanity alive, we need to submit to King Turbo. He has promised to spare lives to those who lay down their guns and serve him. This decision will save you. This decision will promise that we will all live to see another day, and that our children will live to see another day."

"Wait a second," I mumbled. I was starting to grow irritated. I stood up, and waved my hand at her, and began to yell down to where she could hear me. "Turbo is no _king_! At least not our king. Submitting to him is exactly what he wants!"

"Take a _seat_!" Rachel advised sternly. "As I was saying… We need to be prepared. I plead with you all, when that hour comes do not be afraid. Lay down your defenses and you will see tomorrow."

"I'm not going to tolerate this!" I yelled. "We don't even know what Turbo is doing to the people he takes away! They could be all becoming slaves for all we know!"

"Arrest her," Rachel ordered, and immediately the two armed men beside her started walking toward my seat on bleachers, and up the steps.

"What are you doing? _Silencing me?!_ " I hollered, finding my usual calm expression was being twisted into an intense scowl. "People have a right to know what's really going on! We should be fighting! We all need to take a stand against this!"

The two men grabbed a hold of each of my arms, lifted me off the ground, and carried me down the bleachers and into the city hall. I didn't know what happened with the others, but I assumed they had been dumbfounded from my sudden hollering, despite that I had not bothered to look their way through my argument.

The two armed men brought me into city halls office, and pushed me onto the chair that was meant for the mayor. At first I had simply figured they were just going to separate me from the masses outside, though quickly I came to find that they had rope with them, and were about to tie me.

"What the hell is going on? This isn't civilized! You're supposed to be cops, right?" I fussed, but received no answer. The two, despite my kicks and rolls, finally were able to get me glued to the chair. It was after a few passing moments when the door finally opened again, this time Rachel entering the room.

A tight furrow overcame her forehead as she stomped over to me, and without a warning she slapped my left cheek. "Screw off!" she snapped. "You'd better shut up if you knew what was good for you."

"What's going on here? Why are you telling those people lies?" I asked just as fiercely, briefly paying mind to the sting she left on my face.

"They aren't _lies,_ " Rachel heaved. "People need to find a way to survive. Do you think that if random civilians, who have no previous knowledge of combat, have any idea how to survive on their own? I'm helping them! Everyone who fights back is like pigs heading to the slaughter! Those Cy-bugs will kill everyone who denies King Turbo."

"There you go again." I couldn't help but chuckle in disbelief. "Why are you proclaiming him as king? He's not our king! He may have been one in the game world, but he isn't one here."

"There is so much you don't know, _Kailey,_ " She sneered. My eyes flickered upward in caution at her. Did I even tell her what my name was? "Yeah, you heard me. I know everything about you. Since the time is near anyway for the Cy-bug swarm to come pick up these people, I guess I can let you in on what's going on. For the past two days I have kept this town sheltered from the chaos that has overtaken the city. As a police officer, it's my job to protect civilians. I realized the best bet for their survival is to get them to understand that it's okay to give in. I wanted to make sure they were all here when the Cy-bugs came to where there wasn't a struggle. You, on the other hand… I've heard a lot about you. You showing up, along with those two Programs, and another stray one we found was just luck. King Turbo isn't too fond of other Programs other than his Cy-bug army. He wants them taken out. You though, I honestly don't know why he wants you for… sure you're some 'First User', but you're just like everyone else. It must be because you're pretty." Rachel took a step back, but only slightly. "But I'm not here to question his motives. You'll remain in here until the Cy-bugs come. They'll take you away like everyone else."

"You can't do this!" I yelled. "This is wrong! You say you're fighting for humanity, but what you're doing is taking it away! You're taking away their will to choose!" As I struggled I found my head tossing around. It was among my disobedience that my eye caught something that was sitting on the desk behind me.

It was a hammer: a golden hammer.

"Wait—you said you found another Program?" I asked as I stared at it.

"Oh, yeah," Rachel said. "So you're familiar with whose that is?" Walking over to a closet door she opened it abruptly, and Felix came tumbling out, himself tied up in rope.

"Jiminy, Jaminy!" Felix shouted once he saw me. "Kailey!"

I looked at him with wide eyes momentarily before I turned back to look at Rachel. "You can't do this! You have to let us go! What would your grandfather think of this?"

"Shut your trap!" Rachel yelled. "That's none of your concern! I'm through with this."

Turning around she waved her hand to the armed men to follow her, and they slammed the door behind them. I could hear the door lock.

"Oh my land…" Felix mustered from where he lay. "What are we gonna do?"

"How did you get caught?" I asked. "I thought you were with Ralph and Calhoun?"

"Well, I was..." Felix started. "We've been looking all over creation for you guys. When we found this little town we all figured that was the best place to look for you. When we were about to come I was caught, though Ralph and my wife managed to go unseen… These people kidnapped me, took away my hammer, tied me up! And I've been stuck in that closet!"

"Rachel is going to try and keep everyone here for the Cy-bugs to take away," I reiterated. "We need to find a way out of here. If Ralph and Calhoun were with you previously then they can't be too far."

"I'm sure of that," Felix answered. "They wouldn't leave me here. I'm sure they're just reluctant to come in here, seeing as they don't want to hurt anyone."

"People are going to get hurt regardless," I stated firmly. Looking around, I tried to pinpoint something I could use to try and untie myself. The hammer was the only possible thing, but further considering it I knew it wouldn't work at breaking the rope, it would only make it worse. "Did they come in with any other weapons?" I asked.

"Well, I couldn't see much of anything from in the closet," Felix responded with a slight frown. "But I did hear them opening and closing that drawer over there. I suppose they may have placed some stuff in it."

I looked from his gaze toward the drawer he was talking about. It was large, and probably could fit the Omni-Tool and Portal Gun if need be. Though this time another dilemma came over me. How was I supposed to get all the way over there to get them? I tried moving my hands and feet around, but it was no use. The rope was too tight. I started to feel trapped then, becoming anxious by the second as I realized I wasn't about to get free. Time was ticking, and although I hadn't set my eyes on a clock in what it seemed like an eternity, I knew I didn't have long.

"Ridiculous," I spat out in irritation of myself. I stared at the floor for a moment, my mind at a race, and my body in a state of shivers. It was only the sound of a tap at the window behind us that I perked up, and looked around. There, hanging from the window on the outside, was Vanellope.

"Hey, what's going on in there?" she asked through the window, her voice being muffled through the glass.

I knew I couldn't talk loudly. I didn't want to be heard from anyone that may be outside the door. "Shhh, Vanellope!" I tried responding in a harsh whisper, "Just open the window."

I saw her mouth hang open as she tried to read my lips. Once she got the message I could see her put every ounce of strength to open the window, balancing on the beams and carrying the opening above her head. I was surprised she was even able to climb up that high, even though it was just a single story window frame. "What happened to you? And is that really Felix?" she asked.

"Of course it is!" I answered quickly, still attempting to contain my urgency. "We need to get out of here! I knew this place was wrong from the start. Just untie us."

"Tell me what's going on," Vanellope said, as her eyebrows came together in anger. She jumped down from the window beside me, and started at the rope.

"It's a long story, there is no time," I said urgently. "How is it? Can you untie me?"

"It's stuck." Vanellope responded. I could feel her trying to get the rope loose. "Whoever did this did a good job."

"Go to that cabinet and see if the Omni-Tool is in there."

"Okay, okay!" Vanellope quickly sat up and rushed over to the cabinet, opening it and finding indeed that the Omni-Tool was in there. "Yeah, I got it," she informed. "But I don't know how some hacking tool is going to untie you."

"Use the end of it like a knife," I directed. "You can use it to cut stuff in _Mass Effect_ all the time. Just bring it over and start cutting!"

Vanellope didn't ask any questions. Dashing from that side of the room, she ended up next to me within a split second and started sawing at the rope. The Omni-Tool did the trick easily, freeing my hands and feet from their dormant positions. "Go untie Felix, I'm going to look around for the Portal Gun."

Turning away from her I ran back to the same cabinet, and took a look around. From the outside I couldn't see any sight of the Portal Gun. Even upon looking in different places it was nowhere to be seen. "Damn it," I huffed. "They hid it somewhere else. Why did I think this was going to be easy?"

"Kailey!" Felix cried. I turned around to look towards them, seeing Felix was finally free and with his hammer, but a surge of fear was masking their faces. "They're coming! I can hear them!"

I took a moment of silence, stared up at the ceiling, and then out the window. I could hear the hum again. It was distant, like that rolling thunder that strode its way closer with time. All those people outside, just sitting there, not knowing of their demise—an intentional demise orchestrated by one of our own even. Would there be enough time to warn them? No. There wasn't possibly time. People that had the nerve to dismiss Rachel's speech maybe could start running, but I didn't know how brainwashed they were.

"Let's get moving. We need to find Steven and Chell, and leave," I said and walked quickly over to the window, though lightly as to not make any more noise then I probably already had. Before I could even reach the windows ledge, however, I heard a thunk. It came out of nowhere, and soon the back most of the building, where a window looked out into the woods, was shined upon with green light. I found my heart skip and my breathing became light as I stared at the emerald glow. How did they already manage to get this close? The humming sounded far away not more than a few seconds ago.

I heard footsteps of the Cy-bug approaching, and a deep inward growl accompany its procession along the side of the building. I felt trapped, yet again. Was I going to try and leap from the window blindly? The door was locked, there was no possible way I could break it down, and I could barely fathom the idea of Vanellope or Felix doing it.

My decision was abruptly cut when the Cy-bug finally popped from behind the wall and into the window at us. I let out an uncontrollable screech when this happened, this causing the Cy-bugs already cautious search to grab something happen more quickly. I saw its mechanical green eyes dilate as it looked at me. It only took a split second before it registered who I was, and with a horrific cry it launched at me.

I didn't know how I managed to get out of the way, but the next thing I knew I had thrown myself aside and landed to the floor. The Cy-bug had rammed so quickly that it flew right over me, and busted through the doorway that had been initially locked. It frightened me that the Cy-bug had shown so much force just to catch me; it was apparent to me now that these Cy-bugs were going to more aggressive lengths to catch me now.

"The window!" Vanellope hollered, though it was too late. The Cy-bug stormed at me again, which caused me to try and jump once more. I ducked below it just enough for it to fly over me again, but I was soon realizing these chances were getting more slim the more it was around me. I waved at Vanellope and Felix to follow and began to run out the now broken opening in the wall, and soon, as I made it outside of the building, I heard screams and an intense flow of hums again. The same exact situation was repeating itself for me, and it seemed there was absolutely nothing I could do to help these people even after all this time.

For a moment I couldn't help but watch the struggle start. Cy-bugs fell from the skies, and plucked people from the ground, one at a time, but efficiently. As helpless as they were, I knew that in their heads they were making the conscious decision to be taken away, which was the reason I hadn't seen anyone become devoured yet.

"Chell!" I heard Steven yell among the screams and chaos. I looked over toward the sound of his voice and saw Chell running quickly to meet up with Vanellope, Felix and I. Steven was falling behind, and I could see him gasping for air as he ran. "Chell!" he hollered again.

Despite her speed, she didn't quite make it to us. The Cy-bug that had been perusing me in the building flew out, knocking bricks, rubble and other trash all over the ground. This blast spewed out other things, however, and to my utter horror I saw the Portal Gun lying on the ground. Chell eyed her weapon quickly, though the reaction of the Cy-bug was faster.

Like a mad dog, it opened its mouth and _ate_ the Portal Gun. I could see the weapon break up into digital fragments in its mouth, and start morphing the Cy-bug. It's once dark exterior turned solid white, and one of each of its eyes turned orange and blue. To accompany its color change, the Portal Gun emerged from the top its back, though now larger and sitting like a canon.

The transformation apparently briefly disoriented it, and I could see its attention slip from me, and to Steven who stood a couple yards behind Chell herself. The Cy-bug sprouted into the air with a flutter of its porcelain colored wings, and landed harshly in front of Steven. I could see his face erupt into utter terror as the Cy-bug raised a claw and prepared for an attack. I wanted to cover my eyes, but the scene was simply to horrific to look away from. I watched as Chell dashed towards his direction, pushing him out of the way, and taking the hit herself. Instead of a full on blow like the Cy-bug had intended, the unexpected rescue caused Chell to only get hit with a large gash on her arm.

Unlike the typical spewing of blood that I would have expected, Chell's arm spat out what I could only describe as glass particles. The gash was blue, and it glowed ever so slightly, literally like millions of digital information segments that were holding her together were now flickering off like embers off fire.

"Steven, Chell!" I yelled their names, and launched myself from my standing position to a full blown run. My sudden burst was halted abruptly when another Cy-bug jumped in front of me, roaring loudly in my face as I toppled backwards from surprise. This Cy-bug, obviously, was a familiar one. It was Dell.

I could only scream as I stared up at it. Again, I was in no place to run for cover or defend myself, and could easily been plucked up from my spot, and be taken away. This horror stood me down for perhaps a few seconds, before the Cy-bug was shoved violently out of the way again. Once it had been thrown aside, I saw Ralph standing there. My terror melted immediately once I saw him; his presence was the only thing I needed at this time.

"That one sure does like you," Ralph joked as he walked up to me. From behind him I saw Calhoun barge into the scene, and immediately begin shooting at the Cy-bugs flying around, aiming specifically at the Portal-bug that was cornering Chell and Steven.

"Let's move twinkle fairies!" she yelled. "This is no time to sit down!"

I lifted myself off the ground with Ralph's help, and watched as Steven and Chell came quickly to us. From the looks of it, we were all here. Ralph, Felix, Vanellope, Chell, Steven and Calhoun were with me now. As a group, I felt a surge of hope run through me, though that hope was just at a distance as I saw the large horde of Cy-bugs come like a dark cloud in the skies.

"Let's move!" Calhoun yelled as she waved a hand at us harshly, and started running down and in between buildings, all the while shooting at Cy-bugs that attempted to block our path. With Calhoun leading the way, we were able to make it out of the town, leaving it at a safe distance.

We came out lucky, too lucky for my taste. Even from out a ways I could hear the hollering of people being plucked and taken away. The Cy-bugs carried their screams back the way we came.

"We need to stop!" Steven cried.

Calhoun stopped her procession, and turned around irritably, though her anger being softened when she saw Chell's wound. The gash was bigger than I thought, and apparently as she had been running, the particles holding her arm together were slowly falling off. It was literally like she was crumbling.

"Please, you got to help her! I don't know what to do," Steven cried as held onto her. Chell's eyes started to shut as she fell back, now only being held up by Steven's arms. I was so used to seeing her always upright, emotionless and untouchable, though now she had become quite the opposite.

"Let me try and help…" Felix approached Chell timidly, looking at her wounded arm briefly and with concern. With a quick whack of his hammer though, the wound began to heal.

The pixels in her arm seemed to regenerate and rebuild themselves within a flash, leaving her limb like it was before she was even hit. After her arm healed it took a moment for her to come to, however. Her eyes opened and rolled back forward to look at Steven, and it was upon her regained full consciousness that a soft smile drifted across her lips. Steven looked down at her tenderly, and despite that Chell had be cured of her wound, Steven's face crumpled as he began to sob into what I could only describe as a happy sadness. Lifting his hands from her back he caressed both sides of her face, letting but a single tear fall from his blue eye.

"Chell… I don't know what I would have done," Steven muttered, and lay his head atop of hers with such intimacy that I had never seen in my entire life. "That's the second time you've saved me." His last statement caused Chell to chuckle lightly, and the arm that had once been at a crumble lifted upward so she could touch the side of his cheek, whipping away the stray tear that sat there.

I always had known these two were close, but the longer I looked at them the more I realized how important this entire ordeal was. Dannen was right. This was going to change the world; both worlds. If a Program and a human could share a bond like this, there was more to fight for now that just humanity.

"I don't mean to be a buzz kill," Calhoun began sarcastically. "But we need to get going. The kissy faces can carry on when we get further away from that town."

"Oi, right," Steven answered, as his eyes stayed glued to Chell's, though I could hear his typical personality return to him. "Sounds like a good idea."

Although he was agreeing to leave, they continued to sit there. At this point I would imagine parting them would be like tearing apart a nail from a wall. "Err, Steven. You may need to stand up." I couldn't help but smile awkwardly.

"Sorry! Sorry, yeah…" Steven finally managed to break from his trance.

* * *

The further we walked the darker it got, and I soon knew upon listening to the oncoming song of crickets that dusks light would soon vanish from the orange and violet skies. Another day of running, and walking, made my body shake and shiver. It was this settlement of tiredness in which I begun to feel the effects all this was doing to me.

My muscles on every corner of my body felt like they were a blaze, and every time I took a step I felt like I wanted to drop down then and there. I'll admit, I wasn't in the best of shape, not by a long shot, but I could imagine any person would be just as worn out from the sheer amount of working out I had strove through for days in a row like this.

"So…" I brought up to the group, looking at each of them, and realizing they were in the same situation as I was. "Maybe we should, you know… stop? I think we've put enough space in between us, and those Cy-bugs. If we keep going like this we're not going to make it tomorrow."

Calhoun stopped in her tracks, apparently showing irritation at the need to take a break, but I could see her shoulders heave with a sigh. "I guess that's required now, isn't it?" she asked aloud. "Fine, we'll stop here for the night. Recuperate, plan and get ready for tomorrow."

"How long do you think we have to rest?" Felix asked. "Those Cy-bugs seem to catch up to us fast, don't you think?"

"Dawns light, then that's it," Calhoun answered. "The first sign of light then we need to get going again."

"But what are we going to do?" I finally asked. "We can't just run forever. We need to find a way to stop all this."

"Unless you know of a giant beacon that can trap all those Cy-bugs, then you're out of luck," Calhoun spat out sternly. I could tell she was irritated. "All we can do is run. We need to find more allies, but even that seems completely out of our reach. That was proven when your own kind turned against you back there. All we can do is keep moving, keep making ground. Especially if those Cy-bugs are specifically targeting you, Kailey."

"I know." I finally fell onto the ground, and stretched my legs out. "I don't know what to do."

"Speaking of Cy-bugs, that one that ate your brother's computer seems to be on your tail constantly," Vanellope spoke up. "It's like its sole job is to catch you."

"Wait, what did you just say?" Steven asked, as his eyes lightened up.

"Umm, a Cy-bug is after Kailey?"

"No, before that."

"The Cy-bug ate her brother's computer?"

"Yes!" Steven clenched his hands together excitedly. "Do you realize what this means? Today I just witnessed for myself that Cy-bugs become what they eat. That Cy-bug, Dell you call it, is Dannen's computer."

"So what," Calhoun said. "Whatever was on that computer is lost in that thing."

"That's not true!" Steven chuckled. "It may seem that way for you Programs, but you need to realize that although Dannen's computer files are mixed in with the Cy-bugs programming, they are still there. With the Omni-Tool there is a possibly I can extract enough data from the Cy-bug to find the files we need to rebuild the Shiva Laser. Well, maybe not completely rebuild it, since it requires a massive amount of energy and supplies… but perhaps a small replica, like the Portal Gun even!"

Listening to him, I felt overcome with a wave of joy. "This is great! No...wonderful!" I exclaimed.

"Exactly." Steven grinned with his teeth now. "There is just one, tiny thing we need to do... We need to catch it."


	7. Captured.(exe)

"Catch it?!" I exclaimed. "How the hell are we supposed to _catch_ a Cy-bug? Getting away from them is freaking hard enough!"

"Lower your voice." Steven's grin dwindled as he lifted his hands to try and shush me. "Don't yell."

"You're talking about catching a Cy-bug and you don't think you're going to get an outrageous response? You're thinking way too ahead of yourself!"

"It's possible to kill a Cy-bug." Calhoun motioned towards her large gun in which hung behind her back. "I've killed quite a few already. Although of course that's it. You kill the Cy-bug then it's over. They just poof—gone, shattered. If it were only that easy to take the whole lot of them out though. Heck, most of our troubles would be over with if there were a way to kill Turbo! But with that Cy-brid getup nothing's going to work. Not even a train could kill him."

"We can't kill the Cy-bug," Steven said. "The only way we're going to start on this road to fixing this problem is recreating the Shiva Laser. If I can somehow create a smaller replica in a hand-held device, maybe there is a way to send Cy-bugs back into a virtual data base, like a flash drive."

"Well that's a start." I shrugged my shoulders, however, still completely awestruck about what he was saying. "We'd basically have a net for those bugs, though how are we supposed to catch all of them? There are thousands, maybe millions of them by now."

"Hey, the Ghost Busters didn't catch all ghosts in one day, did they?" Steven tried lightening the situation with a nerdy reference, chuckling slightly. "That's the only way, and at least it's somethin'."

"Okay, okay…" I waved my hands at my face to shoo away some mosquitoes. "So we have an idea now. But back to what I was saying initially: how are we going to subdue a Cy-bug long enough in order to extract data from it?"

"Hm, well I haven't thought about that." Steven placed a hand on his cheek. "Though we most likely won't have any problems finding it. With Dell on your trail constantly it's bound to show up sooner or later."

My lips formed into an irritable pout as I looked at him. "I don't know what you're thinking, but you guys are on your own with this. I'm not going to try and wrestle down that thing."

"You don't have to do anything!" Steven responded. "You literally, just need to stand somewhere."

"So I'm a guinea pig now, again? The bait?" I felt like coughing suddenly. "Er, I don't know."

"Come on, Kailey!" Ralph said with a smile. "We won't let it take you away. We got your back."

"How nice of you to offer," I responded with a bit of sarcasm. "Let's not do it anytime soon though. I'm tired. And the last thing I want is trying to attract a Cy-bug at night."

"Oh no, we won't do it now. I figured we start the procedure sometime in the morning." Steven finally took a seat next to a large tree beside Chell, who already had claimed it as her spot for the night. "So just sit back, enjoy the outdoors and leave tomorrows worries for another day."

I growled as I remained seated on the ground. I didn't like the idea of sleeping outside. I wanted a bed— _my bed_. I could already feel a chill coming over the area, and my anticipation of a ridiculous nights sleep seemed to fill my consciousness. "Ugh, I really wish I had a bed." I gritted my teeth slightly from the chill.

"Don't tell me you've never gone camping before," Steven said.

"I've slept on a boat before, and it was terrible," I responded. "I like the outdoors, don't get me wrong, but I like to sleep in comfort. And I like to feel clean, for that matter."

"Princess Kailey enjoys luxury, she can't handle this," Vanellope teased as a smile grew over her little lips.

"I _can_ handle this," I fussed in response, "and there is nothing wrong with liking comfort!"

"Sorry, Princess Mope." She was sticking with the joke pretty hard.

"Okay, that's it!" I threw my hands in the air. "I'm not talking to you guys anymore." All this talk about catching Cy-bugs, and being teased, was starting to blow my cool. Not to mention I was ready to black out at this point from pure tiredness.

I laid on my side in the middle of the grass, and pulled my legs up to my chest to try and gain warmth. I could hear everyone start shuffling around to try and find a place to claim as their spot for the night then.

"I'll stay awake to keep watch," I could hear Calhoun volunteer.

"Tamora, no…" Felix's voice responded gently. "You need just as much rest as the rest of us. We'll be fine for tonight, I promise. We've put a lot of ground between us and the Cy-bugs."

She grumbled. "I suppose so. First light though, we move out."

Her voice dwindled once their quick conversation ended. The chirping of the crickets took a heavier stage then, and with the slowly dissipating sunlight, that chilled wind that arrived moments earlier seemed to grow steadier as it brushed through the trees above me with chatter. I slowly began to realize that despite my efforts to keep myself shielded from the cold, it wasn't working. I tried shutting my eyes regardless, attempting to ignore my need for comfort, though this proved futile. My eyes continued to shoot open in certain increments when the wind picked up more quickly, and brought my long hair up in a twist a few inches above my head and back.

"You look ridiculous," Vanellope muttered from somewhere behind me. My eyes slowly moved with the course of my head as I turned, and looked over her direction. I saw her and Ralph had accompanied the same tree as Calhoun and Felix, though on opposite sides. "You should come over here with us. Sitting in the middle of the ground like that is going to give you the snots."

"Nice to know," I responded and wrapped my arms tighter around me. I thought for a moment what I was doing to myself. Why was I getting irritated? They were just trying to help, every single one of them. Sure, Steven's idea sounded out of whack, but I had to stop the nonsense of giving into my emotions. This wasn't college or work, so I should be treating it differently. Although it didn't help much that Vanellope was constantly teasing me.

Without saying a word, I sat up and walked over to the tree mostly everyone had accompanied. In all honesty, it didn't look any more comfortable than where I was sitting, with the only exception that it was warmer with everybody here. Plopping down I took a spot I thought would shield me most from the air, and with the trunk of the tree holding me up I wrapped my arms around myself again, and shut my eyes.

It was a quick and dreamless sleep. The next thing I remembered was waking up to a very faint dawn; that kind of morning light in the very waking moments before violet turned orange in the skies, and when the air itself was at its softest. Although I was still tired, I managed to open my eyes with a couple of flutters, and attempted to awaken myself. I could hear some snores from a few of my group members, but otherwise my waking world was at a silence. It was because of this small break in dawns light that I assumed Calhoun would be waking up at any moment, but despite this anticipation of being abruptly made to get up and get moving, I began to realize I desperately wanted to cling to what was left of this early morning hours of sleepiness. For a second or two I thought I'd sit up and be the one to wake everyone, but I decided against it quite immediately.

Again, I shut my eyes. I felt the weight of my sleepiness come over me physically then, as if my dream world was about to suck me into the earth and spit me out the other side. Falling limp, I gave up what was left of my consciousness as I laid my head against the tree trunk behind me. This position allowed my my gaze to see upward to peer upon the skies.

I recalled shutting my eyes briefly, after losing what fight I had left to keep them open. Eventually, and upon opening them again, that violet dawn had turned golden. It was this new light of dawn in which the calmness of the forest seemed to dissipate abruptly, being then replaced by that nightmarish hum.

 _Was this a dream?_ I wondered this simply because as time went on, my waking world and my dreams had slowly begun to collide. I didn't quite know what was real anymore or what was simply a part of my imagination.

I suddenly heard Calhoun gasp from around the tree I was laying against. This caused my eyes to shoot open, and my lungs to heave with a sudden alertness.

"Wake up!" she said in a harsh whisper.

I didn't look away from that portion of the sky I had been facing. Slowly, the sound of everyone waking up at once surrounded me, their breaths at a sudden inhale and then a pause, as if they were preparing for the worst.

"Cy-bug," Calhoun muttered again, this time though I could hear the clank of her weapon activate from around the corner of the tree, though nobody else dared to move.

It happened very suddenly then, and without warning. The hum grew thick, and then quickly a Cy-bug came tumbling through the trees above, landing harshly among us, disrupting the thin cluster of trees we had taken shelter within.

It landed directly in front of me, and in between the two trees that housed us. I soon found myself becoming frightening by the sheer closeness between the Cy-bug and I. It was the Portal-bug, the one that had just recently consumed the Portal Gun.

Its awkward one orange, and blue eye stuck out among its solid white form, and the large portal canon on its back proved most frightening compared to the many other Cy-bugs I had come across in the past. Behind its large form, I saw Steven sit up from across the way, and without taking any orders, he grabbed Chell's hand and started toward the thicker cluster of trees. However, this didn't do much whatsoever. The Portal-bug gathered all its attention and set it on them, and like a rabid dog, it's legs all pulled its body forward at once and picked up pace quickly to where it reached them within a couple of steps.

Although I was wide awake now, I couldn't help but remain paralyzed in terror. Watching how quickly it moved towards them caused my breath to halt, and the world around me again fell into slow motion. The Portal-bugs mouth launched open with a screech and one of its large clawed limbs jabbed outward to strike them head on. It was that moment in which I saw Chell take action.

With both arms, she pulled on Steven's shirt, and threw him as hard as she could to the side. As his body flew down, and onto the ground, she took the hit, this time, directly through the stomach.

As the Portal-bug's claw impaled her, my perception seemed to crawl back to regular speed. Chell, so abruptly, _shattered_.

Like a porcelain vase, her entire being crumbled into thousands of tiny digital fragments, and scattered all onto the ground. With this sudden incident, a strange sound of what I could only describe as a quick break of a glitch echo consumed her before those fragments fell into, and mixed with the grass.

"Steven!" I cried as loud as I could. My entire chest felt heavy as I yelled, so it felt difficult to project my voice outward to him. I managed to sit up, and despite my fear of the monstrosity before me, I rushed towards him. The Portal-bug, however, noticed me before I could even make it half-way.

Letting out another screech, the Portal-bug launched towards my direction, very similarly to how it charged Steven beforehand. I turned around within an instant as I saw it launch at me, and with all the strength I had, I ran outward into a more open concept of the forest that lacked trees. I had thought the lack of obstacles in my way would have helped me run faster, but despite this hopeful thinking, I felt the Portal-bug grab hold of me. It's two front claws wrapped around me and started to pull me towards it, and quickly, I saw its wings flutter at the corner of my eye as if it was about take off with me into the air.

I hollered with what breath I still had sitting in my lungs as it tugged me, though I found that its hold on me suddenly grew abrupt and, then weakened.

"Kailey!" I heard Ralph's voice call at me, and with a powerful shake of the Portal-bug that had a hold on me, I felt him hit the monster. The Portal-bug's limbs opened enough for me to break free, so I tried launching myself forward in order to get away, and let Ralph finish the job of crushing this thing.

With my quick burst of freedom, I abruptly heard a loud clunk sound, and just as instantly, noticed an orange shot shoot past me and onto my running path a few good yards ahead. An orange dormant portal lay a ways before us, causing me to stop briefly. The Portal-bug was trying to use its new ability, although it didn't look like it was doing it much good due to wrestling with Ralph.

I continued to hear Ralph struggle behind me as a mixture of grunts from him, and screeches from the Portal-bug escaped into the air. I wanted to help, but I didn't know what I could possibly do. Turing around I could see Ralph pulling on the Portal-bug's back, causing its face to stare directly up at the sky. Through its series of screeches in obvious irritability, its blue and orange colored eyes seemed to grow brighter, and with another clunk, another portal shot off from its canon and into the skies. As I saw the blue aura of the shot go upward, my eyes followed it. Disappearing into the skies, I saw a full moon I had not noticed while sleeping beneath the canvas of trees. I found my mouth mildly start to hang open, and in disbelief I could slowly feel the world around me become light like water, and the wind start to become more violent as air began to move toward the opening orange portal that lay on the ground in front of me.

With a sudden vacuum, then, the orange portal opened. Everything, even sound itself, started to spiral towards the entrance and into the void. The Portal-bug and I immediately were the first ones to plummet toward the opening into _space._

Air left my lungs, smothering me, and I became completely helpless among the powerful pull of the portals opening. My vision was impaired to little fragments as I tumbled like a feather towards this horrific demise, everything from quick glimpses of trees being pulled like they would in hurricanes winds, to the grass beneath being shredded apart.

"Kailey!" I heard Ralph's voice call me again, though it was very much difficult and almost impossible to hear among the powerful _swoosh_ of air being consumed by the void. I initially thought I must have been hallucinating Ralph calling me; this was suddenly proven false when I felt his large hand encase my body. It was just as quickly as Ralph grabbed me though, that the Portal-bug plummeted past me, and grabbed a hold of my leg that remained poking out of Ralph's fist.

The helpless tumbling turned quickly into a case of tug-of-war.

"Don't—don't let me go!" I tried with all my breath to say, though I found I had to push my limits with even speaking at this time.

I watched as Ralph drove his free hand into the ground with all his might, taking hold of the rocky earth itself so he could hang onto it. The Portal-bug, on the other hand, was losing its grip quickly. I felt inch-by-inch its hold on me grow weak, and with quick slip, it tumbled backward and disappeared into the open portal.

The portal into the void, despite the disappearance of the Portal-bug, remained at a rampage for a good few moments longer. I felt lightheaded, as if I wanted to fall back into unconsciousness, but despite this, I still would not pass out. Again, it was seriously times like this that I really wished I didn't have to stay awake.

Like a heave, the portal disappeared, and the world that was once at the mercy of the vacuum let loose with a sigh. My weightless state dropped, but despite this Ralph still managed to set me down tenderly. It took a moment for me to regain myself as I breathed heavily, and kept my head downward to shield my gaze from the sunlight.

For what it seemed, it took me a long time to gather all my senses back. It was like everything that made the world, whether it be smells, sight or even touch, was overwhelming. "I don't know how you did it," I heaved in disbelief, "but thank you."

"You're forgetting how strong I am," Ralph chuckled a little bit. I suppose he was rather flattered with himself for what he'd just done. I didn't blame him though. Being able to break that 'bad guy' trend he lived daily in his game world must have been nice these past few days, especially now.

Past this lightheartedness, though, I remembered what had just happened minutes before hand. What happiness I had within me about surviving the ordeal dissipated as my eyes flickered upward and back toward the forest as I recalled what had happened during the early stages of the attack.

"Chell…" I muttered, and tried sitting up.

"No way," Ralph said as his hands again came around me, lifting me up as if I was a child. "There is no way I'm letting you walk immediately after that. Come on, we'll go together."

I gave in easily, and held onto him as he walked me over towards the forest. Limply, I watched as the others came into my line of sight. They were all surrounding the shattered pieces of what was once Chell.

"Steven…" I murmured outwardly, though with a shake. "Put me down, Ralph."

Timidly, Ralph set me down, and I managed to walk over beside Steven, who was staring wide-eyed downward at the digital fragments. I stopped directly behind him.

"Felix," Steven muttered. "Can't you fix this?"

"I suppose I could try…" Felix said, but hesitantly. Walking past Steven and me Felix kneeled down, and struck the pile of digital glass with his hammer, but it was despite this that the fragments wouldn't move. Felix tried once more, but again we were greeted with a similar outcome. Nothing happened.

Stepping back, and taking his hat off from his head and presenting it before his chest, Felix accompanied the rest of us, astonished as we gazed down at the pieces. It was from among this silence that Steven fell to his knees, and began to morn.

Listening to his whimpers I felt my heart sink. What was I supposed to say? Certainly I knew how this felt; loosing someone I loved, but not quite to this extent. I didn't even understand _why_ it happened.

"Steven…" I managed to mumble, and placed a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry."

Despite this his head still remained sunk to the ground as his back heaved from heavy breaths in between sobs. I could see tears draining from his fingers where they met his face, and onto the sleeves of his shirt, though a few drops managed to slip passed his hands and onto the grasses before the pile of shattered fragments.

"Those monsters will never cease to surprise me," Calhoun muttered from behind us, though her voice growing louder as she spoke. "I always knew they were killers, but I didn't know they were capable of _that_."

"It wasn't entirely their doing…" Steven's voice picked up as he sniffled. "I should have known better. I could have prevented this."

"Steven, please…" I tried speaking up again to help him. "This isn't your fault."

"No!" Steven swing his hand and turned to look at me. "I should have known better. What was I thinking anyway? Programs waltzing through the real world without consequences? They aren't Cy-bugs—Cy-bug's are viruses. Viruses and regular programs have different functions. Without their outlet, being in our world, they are unstable. _You_ are all unstable! Getting killed in your game is one thing, you'd regenerate. Getting killed outside your game means death. The real world just reacts to your death differently. Instead of getting stabbed and tumbling over like Kailey and I, a Program's form dissipates: it falls apart."

"Chell was cured before though," I said. "I still don't understand. When her arm was broken into fragments Felix was able to cure her."

"It was just her _arm_!" Steven yelled frantically. "It's as simple as the difference between getting shot in the arm and in the chest. One will kill you, the other wont."

I had to pause a moment. I always knew that Programs were at risk. Of course they were. Everyone here: Calhoun, Felix, Vanellope and Ralph were pretty much the same as me. We could all get killed. But this idea that without being in a digital world—their game world, in which held them together—was frightening. I couldn't imagine that for myself. It was even upon thinking of this fate that I was having a harder time approaching Steven about it. My lips remained sealed as if an invisible zipper had tied over them.

Among our silence, I could see Steven's irritation with himself spread. His already red face and morose expression became buried in his hands again as his head fell once more. "She saved me so many times. And what have I done? I'm useless. This entire ordeal; fighting it is useless."

"Don't say that!" I struck up again once he said that. "You can't think that way! We've come so far!"

"And for what?" Steven mumbled as he parted his hand from his face again. Although he was turned away from me I could tell his face was at a scowl due to how his jaw lines tightened. "I would assume you'd know better. You did after all lose your brother. Isn't that reason enough? He's _dead_ because of this! And now Chell is dead too!"

"Don't you _dare_ bring Dannen into this," I spat out. "Dannen was doing something he thought was right. This entire ordeal happened for a reason. Preventing it was enviable. Are you saying you're just going to give up now? Just because Chell died? Is that what she would want?"

"Get away from me!" Steven hollered. "Just leave me!"

"Cy-bugs are probably on their way. If you're not going to go through with the plan, then I guess I'm going to have to do everything myself!" I snapped as my lips twisted into an irritable scowl. Turning away, I pushed through everyone else and past the cluster of trees towards the forests opening. I wanted to get as far away from him as possible. It didn't seem fair that in the middle of our struggle, when we were finally getting a break and making progress, he was giving up. I didn't even have enough time to morn for my _brother_ when this all started. I had to keep moving, and I had to suck it up.

I continued to walk, though my harsh stride began to dwindle when pain struck my legs. I was still very much sore from the night prior, and on top of that my body had just gone through a lot of stress upon being almost sucked into a portal into space. Once this sudden arrival of pain and weakness overcame me, I tripped, catching myself only enough to land on my backside. Once my bottom hit the ground I tried to station my hands to the ground at my sides in order to lift myself upward. It was, however, useless. My arms were even shaking from attempting to gather what little weight I was putting on them.

From this sudden realization I suddenly found myself becoming overwhelmed. My mind raced, pondering upon different images that flashed before me. I felt stuck, and although I tried to hold it back, I was still scared, and I was sad.

"My brother is dead…" I felt my lips murmuring this outwardly with my thoughts, as my eyes lifted from the grasses and upward towards the clear skies.

As I stared at that blank slate of gold, I started to think about him again, how he looked, how he acted. That day, everything was so perfect. Ordinary, but perfect. I had a job, I had a home, I had a family. A family that adored me, and a little brother who also was my best friend. Did it really vanish that quickly? Had I really taken it all for granted?

Without realizing it I found among my thoughts a tear begin strolling down my left cheek, and then another. A pressure consumed my eyes and spread throughout my face, as my lips began to tremble, and with an overwhelming shake I finally let out a heavy sigh as a wave of heaves followed. Through my stuttered breathing I felt my face grow hot and my eyes become blurry with tears.

Who was I to tell Steven to not feel? Nobody had time to mourn, not even me. Even sitting there I was slowly beginning to realize this moment wouldn't last long, and again we'd have to continue moving onward. Briefly, I could understand how he must be feeling: that thought of giving up and not continuing. That idea that letting grief overcome us was our ultimate fate. For a moment, I felt like that, too. I could just give in right now and stay seated until I was taken away, but I simply couldn't. That idea was just too strange to me, foreign like a nightmare. Deep down I didn't know whether it was my own will or some sort of self preservation, but eventually I knew I would have to stand up, as difficult as it may seem.

"Hey, Princess?" Vanellope's voice spoke up gently behind me, followed by a couple of footsteps that carried on until they reached my side. Ralph appeared to my left as Vanellope came to my right, the two of them sitting directly beside me and looking at me with concerned frowns. Although I didn't look directly at them I could tell from the corner of my eye they were both dumbfounded; they weren't sure what to do, and neither was I.

"I said I would do it myself, but…" I started as I lifted my knees upward toward my chest. "I can't. Even if we did manage to take down a Cy-bug I have no idea how to extract data from it. We need Steven."

"He'll come around, I'm sure," Ralph said as he leaned towards me, and placed his large hand on my back. I still found it to be rather strange that his palm could cover me like a blanket, even though he tried not to. "We'll figure this out. Everything will work out."

"I will never understand it," I let loose with a sarcastic chuckle. "It's like the odds are always against us. Whenever we catch a break, we pay for it."

"It seems like that." Vanellope nodded to herself. "Whenever I was a glitch, when King Candy took over my game, I always thought that if I could get a golden coin and join the race, everything would be better. Every time I tried, I'd always end up back where I was."

"Same with me…" Ralph mentioned. "I always thought if I could somehow be friends with everyone, and not be a 'bad guy', then everything would be better. Whenever I tried though, Gene always put me down. It took over thirty-years for me to find that happiness of being accepted."

"Thirty years, huh?" I asked. "Being alone for thirty years... even at all, must be… terrifying." I had to stop and think about that for a moment. I had only been without my brother for a few days, and even then I was never really alone. I couldn't imagine how it must have felt to be alone like these two, who had endured it for years.

"Eh, don't worry about it, Princess," Vanellope said with a grin. "Stinkbrain and I will be fine. It's all over and done with. You gotta move on, I suppose."

"You're never, you know, reminded of how it feels?" I asked with a raised brow. I was finding my crying had come to a complete stop.

"Well, yeah we think about it, sure," Vanellope responded, "But it's not a part of us anymore. Happiness just kinda out-weighs whatever bad happened."

These two were saints. I was beginning to return to my previous dormant thoughts that sounded very similar to what they were saying. "Yeah… you're right. Sometimes a struggle is what it takes to get to where you want to be." I smiled softly after I said this, as my eyes looked from the sky to my boots. Looking down at them I saw they weren't the boots they had been. They weren't really beautiful anymore, and the small golden belt buckle on the upper corner was losing its luster. I hadn't realized how utterly far I'd come, and it was looking at them that made me realize how much I had endured.

"Kailey…" I heard a sniffle behind us accompany the mutter of my name. The three of us turned around, and there was Steven, Calhoun and Felix. "I'm sorry, about the way I acted. I shouldn't have yelled at you, especially about your brother." Steven took a step forward as he picked his glasses off of his nose and proceeded to wipe them down with the bottom of his shirt. "Chell wouldn't want this for me. She'd want me to do what she would have done. Strive onward."

I felt a smile overcome my face as I listened to him, and it was upon his last statement that caused me to place both hands at my side once more to attempt to push myself upward to a stand. Although it was a struggle, I managed to get on both feet and walk over to him. Steven's face was red, and this seemed to bring out the blue in his eyes even more as they glistened with lingering tears. I could imagine my face was just as filled with signs of despair as his own, but it didn't really matter to me anymore. I wasn't afraid to show it; hiding my sorrow back from anybody, especially my friends, was the last thing I needed to do. We were all struggling together, equally, and we'd fight equally.

"Those Cy-bugs will never know what hit them," I said with soft grin, watching as Steven's gaze slipped from his glasses in his hands, and to me. My smile became a mirrored image in his own expression as his head perked up, and upon setting his glasses back on, he clasped his hands together. "Let's get started, shall we?"

I really couldn't pinpoint how much time had gone by. By the looks of it, it was sometime in the afternoon, maybe a few hours past noon, but I couldn't be sure. The sun was intensely bright as its yellow hue mashed against the blank blue canvas surrounding it, though the chilled wind from the night prior seemed to linger as it crossed the opening in the small field surrounded by the woods, making it far more comfortable to remain seated for however long I had been stationed there.

Sitting alone in the center of the field, I carelessly scanned the grass around me, looking through clovers that were left unscathed from the portal that had once terrorized the ecosystem. Although I had initially been nervous about doing this, sitting out in the open as bait for Dell, I was beginning to lose track of that anxiety. This sort of loss of reality, or 'going-off-into-space' as I often referred to it, seemed to be a habit of mine. Honestly, I didn't fall into this mindless state only during times at work or college, but even walking up the stairs to retrieve my socks I'd forget what I was doing half-way up. As a child especially, no matter what I was previously doing, staring at the grass and looking for four leafed clovers or even playing and stacking sticks was always more amusing than anything else my mind had been preoccupied with previously. Even as my hands scavenged through the clover pile, I found they had a mind of their own. Wherever they went, my mind seemed to be partially absent, like learned muscle movement while driving for long periods of time.

Regardless, for split increments in time, I'd forget why I was out there in the first place. The sight of Ralph's bright orange and brown clothing among the greenery around me would bring me back, and sometimes the light flicker of Steven's Omni-Tool would manage to pull me out of my trance. Coming there and back again into my own mindless state was getting repetitive, however, and I was beginning to wonder where Dell was, let alone _any_ Cy-bug. With the Portal-bug attack this morning, I'd assume there would be more on their way quite quickly, but that didn't seem to be the case.

"Hey, Steven!" I yelled. "So, can you at least tell me how you're going to shut down a Cy-bug without killing it? Knowing that will be nice, since, you know, I'm sitting out here risking myself and all."

"Shhh, Kailey don't yell! You need to be quiet!" Steven tried fussing back as quietly as he could, but that was impossible.

"The more yelling the more likely they'll come!" I answered loudly, not letting up my voice a bit. "Just tell me, jeez!"

"I don't know about a typical Cy-bug but Dell could be an exception…" Steven answered. "Because it has Dannen's computer programming within it, perhaps it will respond like any computer. There must be a shutdown feature in its data now."

"Well, that's interesting," I said. "This whole ordeal would be a lot easier if they all ate computers, now wouldn't it?"

"Yeah, but there would need to be more than one Omni-Tool for it to work as well." I could see Steven shrug. "Guess it's just me."

I lowered my gaze from Steven and to the ground again. At least I knew how he was going to stop the thing once we had it pinned down. With Ralph's help it shouldn't be a problem to keep it down long enough for Steven to shut it off. But even then, this whole idea was farfetched. It was difficult to escape from Cy-bugs, so I of course had doubt that this would be on a level of difficulty past what I had witnessed. Despite my complete relaxation that I had beforehand, that anxiety was returning. Looking down at the clovers wasn't really doing it for me anymore, and so I directed my attention back up towards the skies, where the heads of the trees met the horizon. I could hear the chatter of thousands upon millions of leaves as the wind passed through those treetops, though this tranquil sound still lacking in the sound of wildlife that I missed so much.

Among the leaves movement, though, as I listened carefully, I could hear that hum again. I wasn't quite sure if the others who were hiding in the wooded area around me could hear it too, though after a few seconds I could see alertness overcome their body language.

"Where are they coming from?" I muttered to myself as I turned my head from one corner of the woods around me, and to another. From my seated position, I managed to sit up, this taking my point of view higher over, and in between the branches around me. Acquiring this new perspective, I could see past a small cluster of trees, and in the distance, where the woods seemed to clear again, I could see a swarm of Cy-bugs, though very much far away. The swarm was traveling in an organized line, much like how birds traveled in flocks. They were heading northwest, further into the world and from the general direction of the city.

I lifted my hand towards the Cy-bug swarm, and made sure to emphasize the pointing of my finger as I directed everyone's attention to the distant flock. Although we found where the Cy-bugs were, they were too far away from us, and weren't even heading our direction. I was beginning to wonder if sitting here was a waste of time, and we could have used our break from fighting Cy-bugs to find food. I hadn't eaten in quite a long time.

Once I was sure everyone had their eyes on the Cy-bug swarm, I turned around to look at them, shrugging my shoulders as I mouthed, "what do we do?"

However, nobody seemed to respond. They were too focused on the distant enemy, and I couldn't blame them. I was beginning to contemplate if we should go after the swarm, but pondering over that matter for a moment longer I realized how stupid that was. There was no way we'd be able to maneuver through a mass of Cy-bugs that big.

"Where the heck is Dell? That thing is always on my tail," I said to myself softly, as I turned back to look at the distant cloud like everyone else. Their far away hums lingered in the air as they flew by, and soon I could see their procession pass beyond my line of sight and over the canvas of trees. Their sound seemed to dissipate slowly but surely after that, and once again the forest returned to its ominous and silent state.

"Well, that's funny," I heard Vanellope say. "For once we see Cy-bugs and they _aren't_ attacking us."

 _Sure was funny_. It didn't seem right, even if we somehow got off lucky this time. I suppose I was just so used to being attacked at the slightest notification of Cy-bugs nearby that it was strange to be able to simply watch them fly by instead of having them demolish what simplicity in relaxation I had left. The fact of the matter was, though, the one time we did need a Cy-bug to come at us, it didn't seem to happen. Perhaps being quiet was a bad idea, and it came as a factor as to why we weren't attacked already.

"Hey, do ya hear that?" Vanellope spoke up again. I could hear another hum, but this time it was close. For a moment I thought it could have been another swarm, but the hum wasn't quite like that. This one was singular.

"You guys…?" I tried to speak up, turning around to try and pinpoint where the sound was coming from. Everyone from within the trees became aware of the new sound. Calhoun seemed to be the most tense as she lifted her large gun above her shoulders and pointed it in multiple directions every few second. Everyone else stayed vigilant in their own respects, preparing, and waiting.

I, on the other hand, felt like I wanted to jump out of my skin. I had been sitting around all day with the idea of being attacked. The transition to mindless picking of clovers to being confronted with another Cy-bug was nerve wracking, although I knew it was going to happen at some point. Having the guts to face one without feeling anxious was simply impossible.

As I stood there, again wide-eyed like a deer caught in headlights, I heard that hum grow closer by each passing second. My eyes frantically shifted through the treetops once again, though my sight remained bare of any sign of the oncoming Cy-bug. I felt like I wanted to let out a scream, but my willpower wouldn't allow it. Instead of showing my anxiety outward I held it in. My heart pounded underneath my ribcage as my hands started to shake. The waiting was unbearable.

The trees to the left shuffled then, and in an instant a Cy-bug spiraled upward from the canvas and into the skies. My eyes quickly darted towards it, gazing upon its sudden appearance in attempt to see if it was the Cy-bug we were looking for. The sun behind it made its body become blackened, and I couldn't see right then and there which one it was. As I continued to stare, however, it charged at me. I found my body go stiff as it flew down at me, though upon watching it dive down I could further see its appearance more clearly. It's silver and black coating was very unique, and my thoughts were proven accurate when I saw the 'Dell' symbol on its head. We'd found the Cy-bug, but now it was onto the next step: capturing it. _How the hell was that going to work?_

The Cy-bug landed over me, knocking me to the ground with little effort and proceeded to screech. This attack caused me to finally let out a scream, and out of instinct I lifted my hands in front of me in order to push it away, though I wouldn't dare touch it due to its large mouth that could easily snap my fingers off if it so desired. As I lay there, the corners of my eyes caught the others taking action.

Calhoun rushed towards one side of the Cy-bug as Steven ran to the other. I could see Ralph running up from behind it, and quickly his large hands grabbed its wings and pulled it backwards, much like he had done to the Portal-bug recently. With Ralph's hold on Dell, it lifted upward enough for me to slip out from underneath it, allowing me to safely escape the Cy-bug's grasp. However, as I scooted away I couldn't help but worry about the situation. I saw Steven searching through the Omni-Tool; the objects orange hue brightened up as numerous holograms shifted before him. Towards the other side of the chaos I could see Calhoun desperately attempting to not pull the trigger. Her gun stayed steady in her grasp, but I could see her large blue eyes flicker with a desire to end Dell then and there. I didn't blame her though. I'd rather have all these Cy-bugs killed, though this could be our only chance.

"Steven! What's going on?" Calhoun hollered.

"I'm working!" Steven yelled back, but his voice sounded like he was very much distracted.

"Well you better hurry!" Ralph yelped back as Dell continued to thrash in front of him.

As I lay there, half way mesmerized by the struggle, and terrified at the same time, Vanellope and Felix rushed up beside me. The three of us could only watch, partially between Ralph attempting to keep Dell down, while Steven worked the Omni-Tool. Any second, any let up in his grasp, and that Cy-bug would fly at me again. My teeth gritted together as I looked at Steven, watching intently as he worked the Omni-Tool.

"Got it!" Steven yelled as a smile consumed his expression. His finger tapped the Omni-Tool, and suddenly the sound of the Windows shut off tune went off from within the Cy-bug, and it abruptly stopped thrashing. Dell's eyes, like an old television shutting off, dwindled downward as its light reduced to a small speck. Once the light of its eyes narrowed, it collapsed. Dell had shut down, just like Steven predicted.

"It worked!" Steven yelled as his smile remained glued to his face. I could see his shoulders shudder from excitement as he jumped in the air. "It bloody worked! Would you look at that!"

"Quit wasting time! Get to working!" Calhoun fussed. Although Steven quickly began rejoicing, she was right. We had to act fast. I didn't know if Dell was capable of turning itself back on.

"All right, I got it." Steven stretched his arms out a bit and then proceeded upward towards the Cy-bug. Lifting his arm upward at it, the Omni-Tool lit up, and I could see him starting to work. Amazed as I was, I wasn't about to sit this one out. Despite my wobbly legs I sat up and walked quickly to his side, watching over his shoulder to see what he was doing.

The entire process of working the Omni-Tool was still confusing to me. Different sets of computer coding appeared as a hologram upon the tool, though before I could even try and read what it was supposed to mean, Steven would swipe a finger over it, and it would disappear. He worked quickly and fluently, and in a matter of seconds, the coding returned, but this time as a 3D hologram of some sort of structure.

"Wow, can you believe this?" Steven asked as his smile returned. "Look at that!"

"What exactly am I looking at?" I answered, attempting to understand the swirls and dots that filled the hologram.

"The Omni-Tool is showing me the Cy-bugs coding, but in a physical manifestation." His blue eyes glistened with amazement as he stared into the hologram. "Almost like a biological virus helix structure found in RNA, for example. This—this is amazin'. I'd imagine this would be how God looks at us. See those dots everywhere? The green-dots symbolize the Cy-bugs original code, and those blue-dots scattered within is the code of Dannen's computer. They've merged, and become a part of each other."

"Wait, so you can't extract the files we need?" I asked, raising a brow.

"Well, no…" Steven said, "but don't worry! I can _copy_ the files onto the Omni-Tool. See, I can't separate Dannen's computer, no more than I can reverse a chemical reaction to an element. Now, considering Cy-bugs are digital in origin, I'd imagine it would be possible to actually extract the data and tear them back into separate entities, separating the Cy-bug and the physical computer if we were on a digital platform, such as back in the game world or on a grid of some kind. But alas."

Steven proceeded to reach his free hand before the hologram, and click on the blue dots. Each blue dot revealed to be a part of Dannen's computer, revealing files and documents—even music files and photo files. Everything was there. It wasn't until about the fifteenth dot that Steven found what we were looking for. The files to the creation of the Shiva Laser; files that would help us begin on the path to fighting back.

"They're all here," I murmured, though Steven turned his head slightly to smile at me.

"Yeah, they're all here, and we can get started on working on a way to replicate it quite immediately."

I started to grin myself by simply thinking about it. Before, everything seemed like a lost cause, and all we could do was run. But now we knew where to begin: we had the blueprints we needed, and now we just needed the time to place it all in action. I didn't know where we were going to get supplies to build this portable Shiva Laser replica or even the power for it to function, but that would all come to us in due time. If we could make it this long, we could make it longer.

I felt the aura of the air change from this sudden burst of hope. Everyone wasn't as frightened as they were initially. I could see this change not only in how they stood, but in how they stared at the Omni-Tool, and the hologram of the files finishing its download to Steven.

Even Calhoun managed to nod her head and smirk, lowering her weapon as she chuckled. "Well what do you know," she said. "It's this kind of initiative that makes you humans either a gamer or a wimp. I didn't even think was possible."

"Anything is possible," Steven said as the download completed, and the hologram before him vanished back into the Omni-Tool. Lowering his arm he gave a stretch of his limbs and then clasped his hands together. "After seeing that, the digital mainframe has shown itself to be far more magnificent than I thought. Dannen was right, he was always right."

"Changing the world." I laughed lightly as I thought about it. Even being separated from me he was still inspiring us.

A click of a branch suddenly caught our attention from within the trees. Everyone was out in the field with me around Dell, so it brought out our caution immediately. Turning our heads all in unison, I suddenly saw someone approaching. I felt my jaw drop as I saw who it was, and a surge of terror, much like I'd receive if it were a Cy-bug, overcame me.

"Rachel?" I gasped. Rachel looked rutted out, and her police uniform was covered in dirt and grime, much like my own clothes. Her shotgun sat in her grasp and aimed towards us with such a powerful stillness it was as if she was as strong as ever, despite how obvious it was that she had traveled great lengths.

"I've been looking for you guys a long time," Rachel said, as her dark eyes narrowed and her lips formed into a scowl. As she got closer I could see scratches on her face and shaved head, and other details which proved those words accurate. She must have been after us all day and night. "Do you know what happened because of you? People died back there! People were killed, and for what? Because they thought fighting back would save them?"

"People have a right to choose whether or not they want to fight back!" I responded to her. "And how could I be responsible for their deaths when _you_ were the one corralling them in that town in the first place?!"

"It was part of a plan! If you can't respect that then I don't know what to tell you. All I know is I need to finish carrying out my duty. These programs have brought this world nothing but misery! King Turbo wants them all dead, and he won't stop this rampage until he gets what he wants."

I felt my heart sink again as I looked at the shotgun. She was prepared to shoot and kill every program character in my presence. I didn't know if she saw what would happen to them if she shot them, but apparently she was knowledgeable enough to know they were just as mortal as humans.

Calhoun raised her gun again fiercely, as a mirrored scowl consumed her expression. Everyone else stayed awestruck as they looked at her, but I could tell they wanted to fight back.

"No! Stop this!" I cried as I ran before the group and in between the line of fire that could happen at any second. "Programs aren't monsters! They aren't like Cy-bugs and they _don't kill people_!" I directed this towards Calhoun, who seemed to be relying on her soldier survival programming at this time. I could see her expression dwindle from fury and into a sort of submission. I knew they didn't want to kill humans, they've stated it before. They didn't want to hurt anybody. I just wished the same could be said for Rachel.

"Rachel, listen to me," I said. "The deaths of these programs will be meaningless to you. You wouldn't be able to carry all their bodies for proof anyway, and Turbo will continue with his plans regardless. Wouldn't you rather show him something you can actually prove? Take me instead. He wants me, I know that."

"Kailey, no!" Ralph exclaimed from the group, but I raised a hand to him, turning around to show my desperation of the situation. After what I saw happen to Chell, I couldn't stand going through that another four times.

"It's okay, Ralph. Everything will be okay." I tried to say this aloud, though my voice was a bit shaky. I wanted to be strong for everyone. I couldn't allow anyone else to die, especially if it was because of nonsense like this, and committed by someone of my own kind.

"I suppose I could settle with that," Rachel said. "The Cy-bugs will find the rest of you soon enough. Taking you will at least settle some things. King Turbo will be pleased enough to let my granddad go."

My eyes flickered briefly upon the mention of her grandfather. Last I saw, he was taken away by the Cy-bugs, so perhaps it was possible after all that he survived. Although it was typical that Cy-bugs killed humans that weren't submissive, there were obviously exceptions, especially if they proved to help in the overall scale of things.

Bringing me back to the city wasn't going to change things, though. I would have already blurted that out to Rachel, but things looked very grim at this point. I couldn't risk her shooting anyone, and I didn't want to drive the others to attack her, too. I didn't want them to be labeled as the killers everyone thought Programs were, and I especially didn't want to watch my own _kind_ kill them. Not if I could help them, at least.

"Turn around and put your arms over your head!" Rachel blurted out then.

Without hesitation I stood in my place, and turned to face the others as I raised my hands in the air. I heard Rachel's footsteps ease up towards me, and as she proceeded closer, I felt a chill run down my spine. Everyone was looking at me with worry once again consuming their expressions. I knew they felt an obligation to protect me, because I was a User, and perhaps they even considered me a friend at this point. By all means I was no help when it came to fighting, let alone programming anything that could contribute to the Shiva Laser. The only thing I learned from Steven was to differentiate those dot things, but even then I didn't know what they were exactly. This was for the best. I had to _do_ something to help them. The least I could do now was give Rachel a reason not to shoot at them.

I felt Rachel stop directly behind me and immediately heard the sound of clanking metal being raised to my lifted arms. The feeling of cold cuffs wrapped around one of my wrists, and with the guidance of Rachel's hands lowering my arms behind me, and to my lower back, the other cuff clicked shut on my opposite arm. She clicked them a few sets tighter then, and I heard her sneer out of spite.

"Normally I would read your Miranda Rights at this point," Rachel stated as she grabbed the back of my shirt and thrashed me aggressively, "but there are no rights anymore."

The push had caused my head to fling forward, and I was now staring at the ground. I tried to keep my rising fear from falling out of me as hardly as I could. I tried focusing on the clovers at my feet, and the afternoon sunlight that hit my skin, but my mind quickly reverted back to what was happening. I felt my eyes start to sting as my teeth begin biting my lower lip from holding back my emotions. I suddenly fell into a state of an absent-mind. It was like my thoughts had taken over, and the real world, the world around me, vanished.

I broke from my thousand-yard stare rather instantly though once I heard the tune of the Windows power-up computer tune engulf the field. At first I was dumbfounded by the tune, but I quickly lifted my head and reverted my eyes towards the Cy-bug behind the others before me. The green dot from its eyes grew large, like a dilating pupil, and its dormant and still state slowly came alive. Once Dell gained consciousness, its legs scrambled around to bring it around to a solid stance, and once it found a balanced position, it screeched loudly. I looked over at Steven, confused, but he hadn't activated the Omni-Tool. The shut down must have been temporary.

Acting as if I had no consequences, I lifted my leg and kicked backwards as hard as I could, hitting Rachel in the process. I heard Rachel gasp in pain as I rolled away quickly afterward. At the corner of my eye, I saw the shotgun flail form her grasp, tumble towards my side, and plummet onto the ground.

Once the butt of the weapon bounced from the impact, the barrel let loose a shot, releasing a loud blast. A ghostly push patted the side of my body and with it my hearing phased, being replaced with the return of that powerful ring that I had met during the facility explosion.

The shot dispersed, and from the distance I could see the shells spread outward. To my horror I saw the side of Calhoun's face get struck, causing tiny digital fragments to fall from her from the collision. Tumbling to the ground she landed flat on her back, though I looked away.

Despite my disorientation and the upbringing of yet again another horrific situation, I brought myself to run as fast as I could. Wobbling at first from the ringing, I managed to regain my balance as the sound faded, this bringing my frantic mind to now focus on getting as far away from the situation as possible.

Dell screamed again, and I could hear its wings begin to pound. Although I managed to push Rachel out of the way, I was now dealing with a Cy-bug.

In all honestly they _both_ were pretty bad, but there was no way I could simply kick a Cy-bug, and be able to take advantage of that situation.

As I ran away from the field, I was met with another thin cluster of trees, though I swept past them as diligently as I tried to reach my freedom. Despite this, my pace came to a sudden stop once I saw the grasses end, and rocks abruptly replace my path.

Before me was the edge of a cliffside, and far down below was a large lake.

" _What this shit_!?" I cried though my teeth. I wanted to lift my arms to my head, but I realized they were still cuffed. Turning around was not an option at this point since I knew that Dell would be behind me at any moment, yet I was fearful of jumping. How deep was the water? Could I swim with my arms tied behind my back? I was getting desperate, and my heart was pounding against my chest like drums. I couldn't let myself be taken this easily.

"Screw you!" I yelled outwardly to Dell, who was gaining up on me. Before the Cy-bug could get close I jumped, and quickly the dry air was replaced by the chilled liquid of the fresh water lake.

The water tussled my hair around my face, so it made it hard to see at first. Once the bubbles cleared, I looked upward to the surface of the water and saw Dell hovering directly above me. Like a wasp, it diverted from one spot of the water above me to another, all the while its green-eyed gaze setting on me like changes of a hunter's aim to shoot it's target.

Realizing it couldn't reach me under the water, it lifted into the air and disappeared back from over the cliff I had just jumped from. Once it left, I surfaced, and aggressively began gasping for air. I floated for only a moment or two before I balanced myself on my back and began to kick forward, this taking me slowly but surely to the shoreline a few yards away from where I was.

Once I felt pebbles hit my back, I scooted my bottom downward to a sitting position, and lifted myself to my feet in order to get out of the water. Turning around, I looked down the lake, though the patting of the small waves against the many scattered pebbles of the shoreline was also accompanied by the sound of Dell's humming wings.

In the skies, and approaching, I could see a handful from that previous Cy-bug swarm approach, heading directly toward the field towards the cliffside.

Taking what little time I had left, I was able to flee their gazes and enter the bottom lining of the forest that surrounded the lake. I ran for as long as I could into the forest, using what strength I had left from the swim. Once I felt I was deep enough into the wooded area, and the sound of the oncoming Cy-bugs became more apparent from the location of the others, I dropped behind a tree trunk and hid.

Sitting there I tried calming down, but my heavy breathing didn't subside so easily.

"Damn it," I cursed, attempting to lean against the tree but finding my cuffed hands grew uncomfortable with the more pressure I put on attempting to fall back.

 _Boom!_ Another shotgun blast went off. I felt my eyes grow wide as I wanted to let out a scream, but I managed to hold it back by clutching my lips shut.

 _Who got shot?_ That's all I could think about. My mind rampaged through different scenarios and images. I saw Calhoun get hit beforehand, and she fell to the ground. Did she make it? And if she didn't, who was that second gunshot for? Vanellope, Ralph, Felix, even Steven? They were all in that line of fire. They were all being surrounded at this very moment by those Cy-bugs, too.

"God, please no…" I huffed shakily as I sat there. "They need to make it. They _have_ to make it."

A hum appeared in the tree line directly above me, causing my attention to tear from my thoughts, and upward to where the sound was coming from. To my horror, Dell was hovering there, looking down at me.

"No!" I finally let myself blurt out. I saw it charge down at me, though I scurried up and started running again. My sprint was cut, however, once Dell hit the ground. The bump caused me to become shaky with fear, and I tripped and fell flat, face first.

" _No, no, no_! Please God!" I cried out, though it was too late. Dell jumped and landed directly over me, causing the suns light that filtered through the trees to become blotted out from its shadow. I felt its back limbs hug and bring me upward towards its stomach, and once it had its hold on me, it lifted into the air, higher and higher, until the forest below me looked like thousands of tiny shrubs.


	8. In His World Now.(jpeg)

"No, wake up! _Wake up_! This isn't real, it can't be!" I clamped my eyes shut as tightly as I could, and opened them again, as if I was trying to awaken from a nightmare. Dell's tight hug on my body forbid me to move, and it was this intense embrace in which my arms started to become numb from the cuffs that still chained my arms around my back. What little freedom I had was my legs that dangled below, but even so, it didn't do much good for my overall comfort. I was trapped, up high, and moving fast across the landscape, with only but the pounding of Dell's wings, and the passing air driving its chaotic blast into my ears.

The fear I had tried holding back for so long was becoming my reality, hitting me suddenly like waves against stone. My breathing was becoming hectic, and my heart continued to hit my chest, causing my hold on the world around me to become disoriented.

I had anticipated looking down toward the field, however. I wanted to see down below so that I could catch a glimpse that everyone escaped. But even with my will to find out if my friends were safe, my eyes wouldn't settle in one spot for long. Uncontrollably, they darted from one portion of the land below me, to another.

I was losing control of myself. It was the feeling of impending doom, triggered from the outside but somehow coming from within myself. I had felt this before, time and time again, but for reasons I never really understood. Now, this time, I knew the reason. The very thing I was running from, that monster in my nightmare, that giant that I was too frail to face had won. I didn't know what to do, nor did I have the mental capacity to think it through this time. I was alone, and I was _terrified_.

"No!" I cried again loudly, as if trying to defy what was happening. Thrashing my head, I attempted to wiggle from the Cy-bugs grasp, but it only tightened its claws around me harder. I felt myself gasping then, and quickly subsided my attempts at fighting back.

My hair had flown into my face, and through my hot breath I felt like I was suffocating. The wind managed to part my hair after a minute or two, showing me the world which drastically began to change as we flew. From up high I could see the forests I had been traveling over the course of the days in reverse, slowly begin to transform, as if hurricane winds had swept through the land, creating the image of scars below that decimated places Cy-bugs had rampaged.

Open highways in the distance, filled with empty cars, were littered all throughout those paths, becoming even more cluttered as we continued onward. It was hard to pinpoint where I was, though moving quickly I knew Dell was taking me back towards the city. In addition to the roads, I started to see power lines, streetlights, and soon homes. Homes though, that had been split in two. Houses that seemed to pale in comparison as to what they once were.

Structures that weren't completely torn apart were instead covered in something similar to an ash-like substance, darker now that the skies had grown pale with twilight with an oncoming wave of thick grey clouds.

"They had to have made it," I muttered to myself as I felt a withering expression tighten the muscles along my face. "They got away."

Telling myself this, my mind spat images of what had happened. That shotgun had gone off, and the ruminants had hit Calhoun's face. I saw her fling back, and I saw those digital fragments again, but only a few, before I cowardly turned away. Then there was that second gun shot after I had hid in the forest. What happened then? And the Cy-bug swarm—did everyone get out in time?

Although I had been saying outwardly how positively I believed they all had made it, my mind was becoming my enemy. I suddenly imagined that Calhoun had indeed shattered and, for some odd reason, Steven was the second one who had taken that second gun shot. True or not, my mind spat these images at me, causing my face to tighten further as a grimace filled my lips.

"That's not real! Stop it!" I blurted, and shut my eyes tightly again. It was only a powerful wave of distant thunder that tore me from my agony, causing my eyes to shoot back open and my head to rise from looking downward, and forward instead. There ahead, coming up fast, but still hidden in the distant hue of the world, was the city.

I couldn't believe my own eyes. Of course I knew the city wouldn't quite be the same if I ever saw it again, but this sheer change within such a short amount of time was more than I could bear. My city, of tall silver buildings, and flowing highways with people simply going about their daily commutes, had taken a landslide. Windows on buildings were shattered, highways were cluttered with driverless cars, and life as I knew it daily had come to a halt. Growing closer, I could see parts of buildings that had been torn apart littered the streets with glass and iron, and taking the place of the fallen buildings was another structure—one I had never seen before...

It was a castle. The large and intimidating structure was far from finished, but it was done enough to where it was starting to show significant progress. I would assume in a matter of weeks it would be completely finished.

Flying towards the castle that stood in the center of the city, I could see the inner highway loop, which had been completely cleared. This sole circle of highway that wrapped around the city was the only road that wasn't littered.

Around this anomaly of a structure that was being built, though, I could see people working. Some worked cranes, while others walked around, transporting items to use in order to build this new icon and clean the city—desperate attempts to pick up what had been broken. Accompanying these people, and corralling them like watch-dogs, was other Cy-bugs. They were everywhere, sticking out like soar thumbs among the tiresome crowds of workers below.

Dell took a tight turn then, tearing my head's direction from looking at the civilians. The Cy-bug was heading for an opening in the castles ceiling on a second floor, entering it like a small tunnel or beehive. Immediately, what little light above was sheltered from me, and the pounding of Dell's wings became louder inside the castle. The only amount of light from then on was what rays of sunlight filtered down the hole I had just arrived in.

Once the tunnel entrance let us out to the other side, I was then greeted by a large black room. I could see faces of people, looking up at me like shadows, only highlighted by the sunlight that escaped from above. It smelled like dirt, dust and powder with a mix of paints and artificial chemicals. These people were working, too.

When Dell hovered close enough to the ground, he dropped me, and immediately buzzed away from where we came. I wasn't left alone for long, though. Two people, covered in drywall and paint, came to my side and lifted me up with ease. Their tug on my arms sent a sting down my wrist and up to my shoulder, this pain only lingering due to the fact those cuffs still linked my hands behind me. I gave them minimum resistance, and kept my eyes to the floor. For some reason I could feel these people's eyes settle on me, and although I wasn't sure just how many were in this single room, I knew there had to be quite a handful.

The two strangers pushed me forward and down another hallway, though its ceilings just as large as the room we left. It was upon heading into this hallway that I could see shadows of peoples forms among the lining of the hall, working their hands up and down, and painting and decorating it with crown molding and other such materials. I caught a glimpse of a few of them, as their heavy eyes lifted from their work, and at me. They looked like they had been at this for a long time, and it was starting to show in the dark circles under their eyes. Through their strife I could see shock fill their expressions, as if they were surprised to see me. They recognized me. I couldn't put doubt in this, however. I was wanted, and now I was caught.

A large set of doors opened before me in which I had not noticed before, and suddenly a wave of new light hit my eyes, causing my eyelids to blink frantically for a few moments. I could feel myself being pushed into the room, and then suddenly, we stopped.

"Leave us'th!" I heard an all too familiar voice say with enthusiasm. Immediately, the grasps on my arms let loose, and I heard the two people that had escorted me into the room exit to the hallway. Once their footsteps subsided and the doors shut, I managed to blink a few times once more before I could finally see clearly.

I was in a very bright room, at least compared to where I was initially. The ceiling had glass windows on it, circular and decorated delicately with swirls and crystal structures around its circumference. Other large windows lined the tops of the walls, guiding light into the room from the outside, and were specifically stationed to where the window's glass directed sun onto a gigantic throne, adorned with gold and silver. The color scheme of the room itself held reds, whites and pinks, this sight so much more vibrant than the city outside. Although it attempted to be colorful and elegant in its structure, the room was still heavy with some sort of dust.

Looking past the throne, and on the other side of the room, there _he_ was.

"Hoo-hoo! You have no idea how long I've been waiting for th'this," Turbo spoke excitedly, as his Cy-brid wings fluttered ever so slightly from behind his back. He took a step forward, leaning his long body towards me, yet remained very much at a distance for the time being. His brown eyes glimmered as he looked at me, mimicking the brightness of the room. "How do you like what I did to your city? Of cours'the it's still very much a work in progress'th. In the game world all it would take is a simple toss of a few codes'th, but here you gotta use hard labor. I'm lucky I didn't have to kill every single one of you humans. There are those who actually came _willingly_ to build my new kingdom."

I watched him like a cornered cat. I felt my skin tightened and hairs stand on my neck. Watching how he moved was almost unworldly—frightening. I dared not part my lips. I darned not to speak. All I could do was watch him.

Turbo raised one of his thick grey eyebrows and lifted a finger towards his chin, casually swaying it from side to side as he looked around the room, and then back at me. "So what do you think of the cath'sle? Ya know, I never really liked the th'salmon color scheme back in my castle in _Sugar Rush_ , but the color seems to go rather well with red and white, hm?"

Again, I didn't speak. But this time I could tell he was growing weary of my silence. His rather rosy cheeks seemed to flatten as he watched me, suddenly his sharp teeth showing from behind his mouth as he grimaced. "Th'sweettart, you th'should know I don't like to be ignored," he said then, his once rather bubbly voice turning somewhat stoic. "I'm sure you'll show me more respect. All everyone needs, even you, is persuasion." His lifted claw reached beside him, where a large white blanket covered a hanging crate of some kind. Once he pulled the worn linen from the box structure, however, I quickly saw this crate was actually a cadge, and from what I saw in that cadge, I felt my heart tighten.

I couldn't help but gasp. Sitting in there, withered and tired, was my brother.

"Dannen!?" I cried out loud. My eyes filled with liquid quickly as I felt a sting overcome the back of my gaze. I felt my legs cramp with an urge to rush towards him, though instead I collapsed onto my knees.

"Kailey!?" Dannen called back towards me. Although he looked weak, he managed to sit up and place both hands on the bars before him. His face looked pale and his beard had grown in thick over his face.

"Isn't this precioius'th." Turbo sighed sarcastically as he watched us, keeping mind to our reactions, however, far more intently watching mine than my brothers. "Yes'th, he's alive! Oh, it's certainly a miracle isthn't it? A bond of siblings is one of the stronges'tht there is." Turbo paused briefly and eyed me for a second, though his stationary position suddenly broke as he quickly moved across the room. He was so quick that the air he had passed swept past me in a gust, and from behind me I could hear him breathe and feel his warm breath hit my head. I felt like I wanted to burst from my skin, but I was paralyzed.

"And that brings me to my next th'subject of the matter…" Turbo spoke. "Kailey, dear, you wouldn't want anything _bad_ to happen to him, would you? Lis'thten to me carefully. I will not hesitate, here and now, to open that cage and tear your brother's head off, and toss it to my Cy-bug pets."

I heaved with sudden anticipation, though at the same time couldn't manage to speak. I slowly felt my eyes drift from my brother and to the floor, and my head quickly followed. However, my shifted attention was only an attempt to avoid this problem straight forward— and it didn't last long. I felt two of Turbo's sharp claws delicately place themselves upon both sides of my skull. It didn't take him that much effort to turn my head back up to look at my brother and his prison, due to its sharpness. Fighting back felt dangerous, so I moved my head along with his control.

"Don't look away," Turbo said softly, yet his tone was so intimidating that I could actually _feel_ the wrath he exhaled. "Th'see, it doesn't have to end that way, dear. I will spare your brother if you do one thing for me. Give up your futile attempts at fighting me. Submit to me, your new king. _I will be everything you need_."

There was that sentence again, that overpowering control. I remembered briefly that time in the arcade during my few moments in _Skyrim_ , when Turbo had his claw to my neck, and spat out threats to kill me. My brother did what he could to save me. He listened and obeyed. At the time it seemed like a ridiculous decision... Dannen should have let me go, and kept the portal shut. But he didn't. Now I was starting to understand how that must have truly felt.

"Please…" I stuttered finally, as I trembled. "Don't hurt him. I'll stay here."

"What was that, Th'sweettart? I can't hear you very well," Turbo said.

"I'll stay here," I repeated. "I won't fight back, ever. Just please—don't hurt him."

Turbo was quiet for a moment. I could hear him breathing, calmly. "That's a good girl," he said. "I'm glad you've come to your th'senses."

At that moment, the doors opened again, and this time I could hear two more strangers step out into the throne room. "Your Majesty," they both greeted in unison.

Turbo's claws on my head retreated, though moved from my skull and down my back, plucking at the cuffs that held my writs together. With a couple of clicks, the chains tore apart, and the cuffs were freed from me.

"Take the First User to her designated quarters," Turbo started to order. "I want her bathed and rested. Bathed _well_ , actually. I want the smell of that halitosis-riddled warthog, and his friends off of her."

Although he gave the orders to have me escorted out, I didn't budge. I continued to stare at my brother in that cadge hanging from the ceiling. My little brother, being treated like an animal, like scum. He should have been dead, but for some reason here he was, alive. But for what reason? To keep me in line? To be used to manipulate me?

I felt helpless and weak. I didn't have any strength to stand up, and suddenly my world faded as I looked at him, focusing only on his dirty face, and his scarred arms and hands. I had desperately wanted to believe that he was okay, that he wasn't gone. But alive? Like this? It was unbearable. Sometimes dreams don't turn out the way you think they should.

"Get up," Turbo said sternly, though a chuckle broke his attempts at being serious. "You look horrible. Tidy up for me, will you? And get some sleep."

Before I could move I felt hands on my shoulders that began to pull me upward. The strangers' hold on me was quite fierce, bringing me quickly from my kneeled position and back to my feet. From that point I was forced to look away from my brother as I was escorted out of the room, and down another hallway, leading me into the bowels of this new prison of mine.

The halls of the castle were littered with dust from the constant work that the building had been enduring. People filled these halls, scrapping at the walls and knocking on the floors in attempts to please Turbo, and his need for his own kingdom that would replace the city. Every single one of these people looked exhausted. I could hear some people mourning as I passed, their cries echoing from within the hall and dissipating slowly as they bounced further into the castle, lingering only briefly. Others, who dared part their eyes from their work, looked at me. Expressions towards me were met with shock, and sometimes even anger, although I couldn't tell if they were simply angry at me or for what they have been enduring or not. I'd imagine there were no times to smile for them, not here at least. I couldn't help but ponder on the matter how quickly my world had succumbed to this level. My city dealt with the most powerful impact, but it would be soon that other cities around the world would become the same. People that weren't willing to work for Turbo as his slaves would be slaughtered, and that thought terrified me. I wasn't sure how long simple civilians could handle this.

"Your room," the stranger that had escorted me said stoically, and opened a large door that sat to the left. Upon opening it, and looking in past the dark and thick hallway, was my quarters. Compared to everywhere else, it was quite comfy looking; rather beautiful like the throne room. A large bed sat in the center to the right, and accompanying the room was a big arched window, and across the way was a bathroom behind another wall. It was like it was prepared firsthand, completed, just for this very moment.

"You will be brought up dinner in an hour. You have everything you need here," the stranger said bluntly and then closed the door behind me. Standing there, I was dumbfounded. I didn't know what to do or where to start. Was this really the same place as the castle? Why did it feel so...normal?

No, that word doesn't quite fit it. It wasn't normal or home, but it wasn't uncomfortable, either.

Scanning the room briefly, my eyes settled upon the window. Without a word I rushed over towards it, for some odd reason a burst of hope consuming me. I could just get out the window...that would be perfect. Turbo would never know I'd gone!

Alas, I saw quickly, upon stumbling over to the opening to the outside, that I was up high. Very high. Looking down at least three stories with no roof to land on struck me. There was no escape.

I should have known better.

I settled on the idea of showering first, then. The least I could do was clean up; after all it must have been a day and a half since I last took one. Sniffing myself for a second, I found that I wasn't the most pleasant to smell, which was probably why Turbo had sent me up here so quickly. Even for some giant Cy-brid he at least had a sense of what was clean or not.

Walking over I saw the bathroom held everything I would have normally required if I were at home, placed neatly about as if a housekeeper had just fixed it up. Again, I was dragged back down into thought of how impossible this all seemed. A room, let alone a nice room, seemed to be similar to finding a needle in a haystack. Flying in, homes were broken and shattered, yet here it was like I was in my own little world. Even outside, people were working, distraught and at the edge of their lowest conditions, yet I was in here, safe.

"What is this?" I asked myself. "What the hell is going on?" I couldn't think like that for long, though. This was all a show, and I knew it. Getting comfortable wasn't going to happen, not even here.

Kneeling slightly I began to unzip my boot, taking note again of the scratches and mud stains that covered its once lovely brown-leathered sheen. However, as I moved my hand down its side, I felt something... it was the Light Cycle.

Taking it out of my boot I brought it up to my face to inspect it. Despite all it must had been through alongside my feet it didn't look ruined, and it still retained its white glow. I brought my attention from the object and looked around anxiously, and then once I was sure nobody had bothered to peek in through the window or the doorway, I leveled my eyes about the room further. I had to hide the Light Cycle. Having it taken away would have me risk my chances at ever being able to free myself.

Taking a stand, I walked over to the mattress and stuck the Light Cycle beneath it, making sure to straighten out the blankets and pillows to where it looked like it did initially, and then patted the beds surface, making sure that with some movement it would fly out. Once satisfied, I returned to the bathroom, and looked into the mirror.

"Good God." I cringed at myself. My hair looked like a rats nest from having gone for a swim and then air-dried by flying with Dell. My purple turtleneck sweater looked like it had enough; being covered in dingle berries and many more grass and mud stains, I felt then disgusted that I had worn this for so long. I lightly plucked the piece of clothing from my shoulder, making sure as to not have it touch my face while it went over my head, and then tossed it onto the floor with a plop. After that I removed my other clothing items and stepped into the shower, immediately feeling the anticipation of water falling onto my skin.

My hands wrapped around the handle, and I started the shower, which reacted normally and began to soak me. Looking down at my feet I noticed dirt and grime fall off me rather instantly, and just as quickly as I saw this, I started to cleanse myself as if it would be the last time I'd ever do it again. I'd never thought I'd take a shower so lightly beforehand, let alone anything now anymore.

Muscle movement seemed to take over after a while, and before I knew it I had probably scrubbed every inch of myself good enough for the next few days. With a clean scent in my hair, and my body rid of the dirt that had accumulated on me from the time I had spent out and about, I finally got out of the shower and wrapped a towel around me. It was then, however, that I heard the door knock.

"Hello?" I asked as I stepped from the bathroom, and out into the open room, looking at the door.

"I have your dinner," a weak voice spoke from behind, and with a twirl of the doorknob and opening of the door, a small cart strolled into the room, behind it an woman, about in her late 40's, pushing it in.

I could smell the food engulf the room, spreading wildly as it struck my nose over and over again. Once the cart came to a stop the woman lifted the iron covers from the plates to reveal the food there. Among the platters was a large bowl of soup, a large piece of bread, and a serving of seared chicken. I felt my mouth start to water quickly, and I had every urge to dive in right then and there.

"Go ahead and eat," the woman spoke. Looking up at her I saw how thin she looked. I was hungry, but I couldn't help but wonder how she was feeling. Restraining what urge I had to cram my face I walked over and grabbed a stool that sat by a mirror and pulled it over to start eating.

"Do… do you want some?" I asked, blinking from the food and then towards her who remained standing there. I often did this sort of thing, even at home during my life before any of this. A typical example was Chick-Fil-A or some other fast food that I would stop to get on my way home. I'd always get extra, since my eyes were always bigger than my stomach, but despite this I'd always end up giving the extras away to my brother.

"No, I shouldn't." The woman's eyes grew large as she looked at me. "I can't, this food isn't designated for me."

"Please, I couldn't eat it all," I suggested, even though it was a lie. My hand reached to the large piece of bread and I tore it in half, handing her one side, and said, "Please, have something, you look tired."

The woman was hesitant, but despite holding back for a moment, she stuck her hand out and plucked the bread piece from my grasp. As she began to eat so did I. I started carving the piece of chicken firstly, making sure I had good bites for when I was really prepared to start shoveling it in.

A few moments of silence went by as my fork and knife scraped against the plate. Among this I noticed the woman slowing down as she ate, and then quickly came to a stop as she saved half of the half I gave her, and start to put it in her pocket.

"There is no way you're full," I said. "You should eat the entire thing."

"I—I can't," she said. "My son hasn't eaten since yesterday, he needs something, too."

My brow rose as I looked at her, stopping what I was doing, and spotted the rest of the tiny piece of bread that still remained in her hands. "You have a son living here?" I asked. "What are they feeding you?"

"At first we got three meals a day," the woman admitted, "but after the supplies from the stores around the city depleted, which happened in less than three days, we started only eating once a day. We don't get much than this anymore."

I continued to stare at that insignificant piece of food she held, and my eyes then swept from that to her hands themselves. They were old, despite her age, and tiny. I couldn't imagine her, let alone children suffering like this.

I placed my fork and knife down, and reached over to the other piece of bread that remained on my plate and handed it to her. "I think you need this more than I do," I told her.

"I can't do that, please!" The woman pleaded. "If King Turbo finds out he'd be furious."

"Then he doesn't have to find out," I stated sternly as I narrowed my eyes. "Also, Turbo is no king—not here anyway. What is a king without wisdom enough to feed his people properly?"

The woman smiled faintly and reached her other hand out to grab the second large hunk of bread I had offered her. She nodded respectfully, and threw the pieces into her robe, and dismissed herself, disappearing and shutting the door timidly behind her.

I proceeded to look down at my plate. It didn't look quite as big of a meal now that the filler was gone, but it didn't matter to me. I was happy enough that I was actually eating a decent meal for once, and with that I began to finally enjoy what I had.

Eating it fast, I soon decided that I deserved a much needed sleep. After all, this seemed to be exactly what I was craving just the other night. A warm, clean bed and fresh clothes. I left the cart as it was, dressed with what garments were stuck in the dressers, and plopped over on the mattress, making sure not to disturb the Light Cycle that was lying underneath. Looking up at the ceiling briefly, I thought about the others. Were they okay? Did they make it? It was always the same questions, I hardly thought about anything else anymore.

Shutting my eyes I tried leaving my thoughts behind and relaxed, focusing on the blackness from behind my eyelids. Being as tired as I was, it didn't take long until I could feel myself slipping away, my world being replaced with new sounds of my dream world.

First it was simply that blackness. Once my vision started taking place, I could see those same swirls of clouds from beyond, and then like a shield, a ray of light seemed to block me from going forth. The sound of Turbo's laughter echoed my subconsciousness, and I found myself turning around to face him, yet again. The dream was more realistic now in its details, so much so that I could see the reflection of myself in his large brown eyes.

"Where will you run? There is no escape now!" He cackled as his grin grew wider.

I found out of desperation I was starting to touch the shield that separated light and dark behind me, and clawed at it. Taking my eyes off of Turbo was hard, but once I managed to do it I turned my attention from him and back to the spotlight that had taken a physical manifestation as a cadge. I pounded on it hard, so hard that suddenly it shattered like glass, and I was able to peer out. Looking down, though, all that remained beyond was those swirling grey clouds—the abyss.

"Help us!" I heard a crowd speak in unison. Lining the light from the outside, as if balancing on a window pane on a building, were people hugging an invisible wall below me. Their feet were balanced enough to keep them from falling back into the void, but they were only hanging on by just a notch. "You have to do something!"

"I can't!" I found myself screaming. "I can't, there is nowhere to go!" I heard Turbo laugh again behind me, shaking the stage I lingered upon.

The clouds seemed to twirl faster and more violently then, and tugged at me ever so slightly. With the mixture of Turbo's constant laughter, and the people pleading for me to do something, I had finally had it. With every ounce of bravery I had, I leapt from the platform, and fell into the shadows with them. As I fell, the voices of those pleads transformed into those of my friends.

_"We're going to change the world."_

_"Princess, quit hesitating!"_

_"I was alone for over 30 years… if I can do something about my problems, so can you."_

The voices were so real it was as if they were standing right next to me, yet no matter which way I looked into the storm of clouds, I couldn't see a thing. Although frightened by this break from Turbo's spotlight, I felt a wave of serenity overcome me. It was with that sudden feeling, that the clouds dropped, and the area around me cleared. From then, forming from the darkness in front of me, a light began to peak, shaping and forming from a strand and then into an object that reminded me of the hologram on Steven's Omni-Tool.

"The helix structure?" I muttered to myself as I pondered at it. I took note of blue dots that started to highlight the strands, twinkling like stars as they appeared one by one, at first slowly, then suddenly. The light started to become so hard to look at that I finally had to shut my eyes.

"Wha—!" I cried, suddenly finding I was awake and back on the bed. I sat up, and looked around, breathing rather heavily as I blinked a couple of times in a row. The late twilight from beforehand was gone, and the window revealed it was already daylight again. "No way…" I proceeded talking to myself, growing irritable.

The door knocked hardly, and without a prior warning another person walked into the room, holding in his skinny arms a folded clothing item, and a pair of purple boots and matching gloves.

"King Turbo wants you down now," he said, though his voice was quick, and to the point, unlike the woman from last night. The boy threw the clothes on the bed and walked out again, shutting the door with a clank.

I stared at the door for a moment, and then looked down to the items of clothing he just tossed at me. I placed my hands under the bundle, and lifted up the main outfit above my head, taking a better look at what it exactly was. The material was thick and sturdy, and its color was mainly white, for the exception of some decorations on the sleeves and torso that matched the boots and gloves it had come with. It wasn't a normal outfit, not whatsoever.

"Is—is this some sort of suit?" I asked aloud. I wasn't sure what the hell was going to happen today, but by not wearing it I would only put my brother in danger.

I sat up and started putting it on, attempting to ignore how fitted it seemed to be. Once I managed to get it all together, I straightened up what I could and then headed for the door, opening it softly as I peaked to the outside.

"Are you ready?" a stranger asked suddenly. My eyes darted from the portion of the hall I was looking at and to the side of the wall next to the door, where a human guard had apparently been waiting for me the entire time. He opened the door rather abruptly then, and grabbed my arm, causing me to lose my balance for a brief moment.

"Hey!" I screeched, attempting to get myself standing straight again. I felt like a dog being dragged by a leash, however, when despite my attempts to stand upright, he proceeded to walk with me, taking me back down the many hallways until the throne room's doors came into view again. Upon it's opening, I was again greeted with the brightness of the room.

"Your Majesty," the guard greeted.

"Bring her over here." Turbo didn't bother moving. He was again at the far side of the room, though this time sticking a large claw into the cage at my brother, who had backed as far away onto the other portion of his prison as he could possibly manage. This sight filled me with a bubbling rage that I, for some odd reason, was able to suppress in front of Turbo. I suppose it was that lingering fear that if I somehow spoke out of line something bad would happen, and I couldn't risk that.

The guard escorted me over to the side of the room, and from my new angle I could see a camera recorder had been set up, along with a radio plastered to the wall with buttons and other controls that apparently had been used quite often since Turbo had taken charge.

"You are excused," Turbo started. The guard nodded calmly and left as he was told, leaving me again with Turbo, and my brother.

"I hope you slept well, Th'sweettart." Turbo finally greeted me while pulling his hands from the cadge. "You look Turbo-Tastic, if I do say so myself. While tracking you down on your… what was it… Facebook? Yes, whatever, that. Your Facebook said you liked the color purple. I figured it would be suiting to your racing suit."

_Racing? What the hell is happening?_

"I apologize that the last piece of the suit hath'sn't arrived yet. It should be here th'soon, however, my patience has really grown thin with some of these humans coordinating my demands."

I swallowed, hard, but slowly.

"Now then, there is something I need for you to do for me." Turbo spotted my stiffness rather easily. "See that camera over there? Stand in front of it."

"Why?" My lips parted hesitantly but I managed to get the question out.

"Don't ask, just do it!" Turbo's voice heightened, and his fingers clawed. This in itself was quite intimidating, so I did as he said and walked over in front of the camera. Facing it, I watched as he somehow managed to press a large extended switch, and the cameras eyes dilated to show it had started up. I waited for a response, but I found that he was staring at me now. His grin was casual, yet carried a pinch of utter victory in it.

"Tell them who you are," Turbo demanded. "Tell them that the First User failed. Tell them what _you did._ "

Was this broadcasting? People were watching me? I always knew Turbo somehow managed to gain control of what was shown on televisions throughout the city and beyond; after all he revealed my picture to everyone beforehand, so I could imagine that he was using our technology for other personal gain.

"My name is Kailey. I am the First User," I said as honestly as I could. "I… was the first human to ever enter a digital grid—a world that held so much potential for humanity."

"But what happened?" Turbo smirked.

"By going into the arcade's digital grid, we didn't realize that characters… or Programs, had sentience. One took advantage of me and…"

" _And what_?" Turbo cooed; his wings fluttered briefly as his smile continued to grow wider and his eyes seemed to glisten with anticipation while he watched me speak.

"Turbo found a way out of the digital interface. Out of the arcade."

"Turbo? Turbo who? Please, is that any way to address your new ruler?"

" _No…_ " My eyes narrowed bitterly as I said this, and I looked from the camera's lens, and then directly at him.

This break of respect on his behalf at first surprised him, as his smile faded and his brows furrowed. This relaxed and phased look of his transformed quickly after that to something of complete chaos. His sharp teeth gritted together as his lips pulled upward over them, and his cheeks flustered red. "Address me properly or I will _destroy_ your brother!" he threatened.

The mention of my brother again made me think otherwise about my defiance. I felt my face fluster and my legs start to tremble. I was trying to stay strong and bold, but despite my efforts I felt as if my held up feelings were about to explode out of me like an erupting volcano.

"King Turbo," I finally stated, but bluntly, and with as little respect as I could.

"Yes, _King Turbo._ " He chuckled to himself and shut the switch off. "Quite a speech if I do say th'so myself."

_He is such a prideful stuck-up leech._

"Of course, like you just told everyone just now, I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you." He took a step forward. "You see, other than the fact that I was in hiding for a year after that glitch took _Sugar Rush_ from me, and before my prosperous years ruling the game myself, I had been unplugged from my original title for years. I've been around a long time, Th'sweettart, before you were born even. Going without that spotlight for so long made me desperate. I certainly hope you can understand that."

 _No I can't_. I thought this loudly in my head but didn't dare speak it aloud. Instead I twisted it into another statement, and finally would say, "Which is why you eat people."

"Hoo-hoo!" He chuckled full-heatedly. "Please, no! I might be part Cy-bug, but I've gained control of those barbaric cravings. I enjoy my food cooked, thank you. Although I have given it a thought a couple of times..." His eyes flashed with a green pixilation momentarily, mimicking that of the Cy-bugs. It was like for a brief second he changed: something else took over. Within a couple of seconds this hiccup subsided, and his eyes returned to normal. "I _hate it_ when that happens!" he said, obviously irritated with himself. "Excuse me."

I couldn't help but continue staring at him. For that split second I saw the difference between an actual Cy-bug and Turbo. I've seen firsthand many times what Cy-bugs were: they were monsters. They didn't talk or plan or anything like that. They were viruses, and they were mindless. Turbo wasn't. Was this… somehow the Cy-bug that consumed him talking? Was it really Turbo?

I blinked harshly and tried to remove the thought from my head. It was confusing, and strange. The ways of the real world were difficult enough for me to grasp, let alone a world I didn't even know existed until just less than a week ago.

Once I managed to snap out of my train of thought I realized I had been staring for too long. I somehow think this flattered him, and again his cheeky smirk reappeared on his face.

"Please, feel free to stare, I like it," he cooed, motioning with his large hands towards himself.

I darted my eyes down as fast as I could, and lifted my gloved hand to the left side of my face in order to shield an uncontrollable wave of heat that consumed my cheeks. I couldn't quite pinpoint why I got embarrassed. Why should I care? _Screw him and his overly confident self_.

"Now now, come on, I have another thing to ask of you." Turbo reached his arm out and wrapped his claws around my waistline to lift me from the floor and move me beside his throne. Once I was standing on my own two feet he scrambled over to sit on his designated throne, and once comfortable, he pounded the wall behind him, loudly.

For a few moments we sat there in silence, though it was the sudden burst of the door I had arrived in that four Cy-bugs flew into the room, and took a stand on equal and opposite sides alongside the lining of the room. From that point, the doors to the front most portion of the room opened, revealing the outside, and a crowd of people.

Initially I thought they were just more workers, but upon taking a closer look I realized that something was off. Workers stayed put, and were relatively calm. These people, on the other hand, looked _horrified_.

Some were weeping, and a couple of women let out wretched screams as they were directed from behind by two more Cy-bugs. Others attempted to remain stoic but the worry in their eyes let their attempts at being fearless down.

More questions were filling my mind with such a capacity that at any second I could give in to my curiosity and blurt them out. Regardless, my thoughts were suddenly brought up as Turbo began to speak.

"I thought your first day with me would be most suiting if you watched the process of elimination," Turbo said, and waved his fingers towards himself in a come hither sort of way.

One of the Cy-bugs in the back screeched and started driving at the captured civilians, corralling them in such a way that started a line, and pushed the first among them outwards and towards Turbo's throne. The man that came up first was frightened, and he shook violently as the color dissipated from his face, reminding me of what a corpse may look like a few moments upon death.

"Please! Don't kill me!" the man pleaded. "Whatever you want, I'll do it, just don't kill me!"

At the corner of my eye I could see Turbo's large smile remain present on his expression. "Very well, then. Take him away. He'll start working immediately." His response was quite bland despite his outward appearance.

The man continued shaking, but upon these orders a couple of large men, much like the guard that had escorted me into the throne room prior, appeared and took the man away. After his constant weeps and gasps faded, the Cy-bugs started this cycle again, and again, each of these civilians letting go of their freedom in order to save their lives. For a long time there was no incident; things seemed to move rather smoothly, despite the poorly concealed terror beneath it all. I would have assumed people brought here would be willing to comply anyways, considering the Cy-bugs that had gathered them didn't already have them slaughtered.

This chain of events broke quickly though, after the eleventh group of people.

A family: child, mother and father, was forced from the lingering crowd into the throne room and before us, though I saw defiance escape the man's expression suddenly.

"No!" he yelled. "This ends now!"

I was taken aback by his sudden exhale of rage, and suddenly his left arm swung behind him, and grabbed a handgun that had been concealed in his back pocket. Seeing the pistol immediately caused me to move my hands to the side of my head, blocking some of the sound of three gunshots that would echo and bounce from the pistol and into the room. The shots hit Turbo's Cy-brid chest, though seemed to stop the bullets upon impact. Even from beneath my hands I could hear the sound of the small metal objects plummet to the ground with a trio of sharp clanks as they scattered onto the floor.

Time went without reaction for a moment, allowing me to lower my hands as I stared at the mans appalled expression upon seeing his shots did absolutely nothing to kill Turbo, let alone hurt him.

"I really wouldn't have done that," Turbo said calmly, and then suddenly tore from his throne, and at the man, grabbing the human in his large claws and shaking him at the mother and child.

"This is what happens when you attempt to defy me! This is what happens when you try and use your pathetic weapons to destroy me!" His yelling was chaotic, and I could suddenly see green pixilation flutter in his eyes like sudden flashes of thunder. The green seemed to consume his brown irises like a plague after that, and with a sudden wave he transformed again. Turbo's personality seemed to have been replaced by a real monster, a _Cy-bug_. From then I watched as his hands formed around the man differently, picking him between his thumb and index finger on both sides of his shoulders. Quickly, and effortlessly, he impaled the man, and with a crunch I saw red suddenly flow over Turbo's clawed hands.

The woman wailed uncontrollably, and the small child buried himself in his mother's clothes. At first I couldn't comprehend what had just happened. My mind raced, and my eyes frantically looked over the actions before me. Turbo's eyes remained at a glow and continued to hold the human upward and in between his fingers that had dismembered the father's shoulder blades. I heard drips of blood hit the floor, and the color red over his hands seemed to grow thicker as moments passed. That was when the green hue in his eyes subsided.

A look of disgust seemed to overcome Turbo's expression as the brown in his eyes engulfed the green light, and with a sneer he tossed the man to the side. "Take the woman and child and have them begin working." His words spilled out quickly. "And get rid of the body before it starts stinking up my castle!"

I was starting to breathe heavy again, and I found my hand had been covering my mouth the entire time. I watched as two more guards started to approach the woman and child, but before they could be taken away a Cy-bug dived at the man laying on the floor, and with a wide jaw, swallowed him whole. Again a series of wails escaped the woman's lungs, this in return causing the child to begin crying. She struggled to push the guards off of her and run towards the Cy-bug that had eaten her spouse, but it didn't do much good. I could see she was growing limp, and her ankles wobbled beneath her weight. From then the guards had to pick her up and carry her out, and only then did the room return to its previous silence.

People from beyond the castle doors who had been waiting in the line stared with wide, frightened eyes, like pack of disheveled animals. Their silence spoke for them as they all, including me, watched as Turbo turned around from them and proceeded to walk steadily up towards his throne. His many insect-like legs took a moment to settle beneath him once he reached the area beside me, and from the corner of his eyes I could see him contemplating, thinking thoughtfully but yet carried a sort of disappointment on his frowning mouth.

"Do you see the fabric lying on the ground?" Turbo spoke up. I caught on quickly he was talking to _me_ , as I watched his eyes shift from the throne before him and in my direction. "Get it."

I didn't hesitate, not this time. Not just out of fear but of caution—avoidance. The fabric he had ordered me to get was still lying on the floor from yesterday, when he pulled it off the cadge that had covered my brothers prison. Being large, I had to take a knot of it and bundle it up in my arms, and after I managed to get a hold on it I started walking back to Turbo; he had remained still the entire time.

I looked at the white fabric and then up at him, lifting my arms outward just a bit to show that I was ready to hand it over. Despite my gesture for him to take it from me, he turned around instead to face me directly. His towering figure overtook my own, leaving a shadow to cast on me and block some of the light that had filtered into the room from the large windows above us. His face became shaded from this new casting of light, and lines in his facial features became more defined and exaggerated. His stale face remained present as he looked down at me, and from the stillness of his posture his hands came from his sides and down low to my level, extending them outward and openly. Immediately, as his blood stained hands hovered before me, a thick smell of iron penetrated my nose.

"Do it," he started to order me. His head lowered a little to catch my eyes. "Wipe them clean."

I was reluctant at first. Approaching him this close willingly scared me, and with the heavy linen cloth sitting in my grasp, and wrapping slightly around my legs, I also felt trapped, caught and a bit claustrophobic. However, I couldn't hold back.

Taking small steps I managed to get close to him, soon standing in between his large hands. Both of his palms on either side of me continued to drip with blood, causing some of it to splatter onto portions of the cloth that remained on the floor. I looked up at him for a moment, watching as his straight face remained glued to his current expression, and the shadow from under his eyes heavier while looking at him this close.

Catching a glimpse of Turbo, I felt confident enough to lower my gaze towards his hands, letting go of some of the cloth to where I could grasp only a handful to pull over his palm and begin smoothing it out. Upon impact of the white linen on his hand, the blood stained it like a flood, filling every fiber with crimson. The blood spread, and the more I cleaned the heavier the cloth got, though despite its heavy weight I continued to do as I had been asked. Once I finished soaking the blood I then whipped his hands down, making sure to leave his hands spotless, taking a quarter of an inch step backward.

"It's finished," I said quickly, in order to let him know I had done what I could.

"Very good, Kailey," he said, though the sudden mention of my real name having caught me off guard. Looking back from the blood stained cloth, and up to him again, his eyes remained ever vigilant upon me, and for a split second his pupil dilated.

"Everyone leave!" His next demand was loud, providing the complete opposite tone from his last outward statement. "Get everyone out! And somebody please tell those humans in charge of my track to _hurry up_!"

The Cy-bugs scrambled, driving the people away from the castles entrance, and pushed the doors shut. After everybody cleared, I heard the sound of a single set of running footsteps approach the throne room, and through the inner doors appeared an elder man. Upon noticing him I couldn't help but pinpoint how familiar he seemed. From the distance between us initially I could only tell how old he was, how he carried himself as he walked, and how he held a white and violet object in his hands. His footsteps settled to a trot, and then to a somber walk as he got closer; he kept his eyes on me immediately once he noticed my presence.

"It's _you_!" the man's voice was now all too familiar, and my memory was returning.

"Aaron?" I asked, as my brows rose. However, my concerned reaction to finding him alive was not met with the same amount of sympathy.

Tossing the item in his hands down harshly, and with emphasized anger, he charged at me, ferocity taking control of his body and pinpointing it directly into his expression. I was stunned as I stood there, not sure why on earth he would be this mad at me.

"Th'stay put, fool!" Turbo cringed as he said this, slamming his hand in front of me at a few feet to stop Aaron in his tracks. "You're dismissed!"

"You did this to us!" Aaron cried from behind Turbo's hand, and completely ignored Turbo's demands. "You destroyed us all! You were supposed to put an end to this!"

"I'm sorry… I…" I tried to speak to him. I tried to apologize, but it wasn't coming out. I was so appalled, so taken aback that Aaron would feel the need to thrash at me. While I was so happy that he was alive he now suddenly _hated_ me.

"Leave now! Or perhaps I will go out and make sure your granddaughter is dead myself!" Turbo threatened again, and with his words Aaron quickly shushed, though not leaving without letting go of his last thoughts. "Fix this," he sneered, although I couldn't see him. "Fix it. Fix what you started."

Turbo's hands pulled upward in unison with Aaron's retreating footsteps. I could see Aaron disappear back into the side door, but no sooner. After that, he disappeared again.

"No, where was I?" Turbo straightened himself and reached over to the small object Aaron had tossed on the ground. Bringing it up before me, he pressed it into my chest. I reacting quickly and grabbed a hold of it. Once he passed the item to me I lifted it upward, and turned it around, noticing quite immediately that it was a helmet that matched my suit.

"Do you like it?" Turbo chortled. "Hoo-hoo! This is going to be interesting."

"What are you talking about?" I answered him and continued to stare at the helmet sitting in my hands.

"Don't tell me you're not getting the hints." Turbo continued to show pleasure, his once grimacing emotions being replaced with something of absolute joy. "You're going to race for me."


	9. Ready Steady Go.(mp3)

"Race? I can't race!" I blurted out quite uncontrollably. The only thing I've done that was even close to racing was going eighty-five miles an hour all the way home after work, and just recently escaping Cy-bugs with the help of the Light Cycle. But _real_ racing? That was nonsense. I couldn't even picture myself driving downtown during afternoon traffic, let alone have control of a vehicle during a race.

"Th'sweettart, don't be so modest," Turbo hummed, "of course you can race! It'll just take practice is all."

"No, you don't understand, I've never raced before…" I continued to defy him. "Besides, why would you want _me_ to race for you? I've only been driving for like, four, maybe five years tops, and all that driving was simply going to and from work!"

"You _really_ don't get it." Turbo mused to himself as he looked down at his claws, inspecting his palms and studied my handy work. "Think of it this'th way. Why do you humans choose certain avatars to control during a game? Sometimes it's a person's talents, their initiative, their personalities, perhaps how attractive they are…." He paused briefly and looked away from his hands and down at me, staring me directly in the eye for those brief few moments, keeping a straight face, or at least as hard as he possibly could. "But regardless of whatever it may be, they are chosen for a reason. You're the First User, of courth'se I'm going to choose you! What's the point of taking you captive if I can't play with you a little?"

I was taken aback. I expected I was going to be made a spectacle of. After all, those were his exact words the moment he took me with him out of the arcade. But he put it so straight forward, and instead of with malice like he normally showed he was exited. I didn't even know what to take from his last statement.

"I choose you, as my avatar!" He chuckled to himself as his eyes seemed to cross briefly, and his tongue poked out. He was acting like the complete opposite that I'd normally seen him as. "Now come along with me, I'll take you to the track."

Without asking me beforehand, his claw lowered and his fingers wrapped around my waist to pick me up. Once he got a good grasp on me, the large circular window above us began to open, and once the window parted to reveal the cloudy sky above, his wings began to pound behind him, and with a sudden pull into the air we flew into the sky.

Quite quickly the castle grew a bit smaller, and with a turn we headed towards the highway loop that had been cleared. I hadn't noticed prior that a start and finish sign had been built at one portion of the track, back to back. Upon getting closer, I saw six vehicles lined up there and as we got even closer, I saw five men dressed in full blue racing garments get into each vehicle, leaving one white car without a driver.

Turbo landed next to the white car and set me down, though quickly inspected my designated vehicle quite extensively and up close before he started talking again. "I see the purple stripe wasn't painted on the sides, like I specifically _asked_ for." He seemed a bit irritated that things didn't look exactly like he wanted on the car, but regardless he seemed to hang onto his giddy composure overall. "Now then, Th'sweettart, would you be so kind as to take your seat at the wheel?"

He was acting so out of the ordinary that I decided it was best to not anger him at this point. I quickly set the helmet I had been holding onto my head, got in the car as asked, and shut the door.

I quickly found myself turning my attention from him and to the dash of the car itself. At first I was panicked that I wouldn't have a clue how to drive the thing, but my worries were settled a little when I saw the familiarity of it. Among the most important of things, it at least was an automatic. If it had been a manual car I'd probably not get too far off the starting line.

It was only the sudden starting of engines that I was pulled from my intense inspection of my car that I realized the other people being made to race were already well and prepared. Coming on immediately after the hum of the engines, I heard the speakers of my vehicle automatically stir with static, and settle with a soft electronic noise.

"Welcome to my race track!" Turbo's voice expelled from the speakers quite loudly, causing me to shiver briefly. "Everyone start your engines and prepare to begin at my command! The first car to cross the finish line and defeat the First User will be released from their duties for a day."

I found my grip on the steering wheel tighten when I heard him speak, though this in itself not as intimidating as the looks of the other drivers to my sides. The ones I could see, both on my right and left, looked me square in the eye and held a determined look in their gaze that foretold that this could only end in disaster. I didn't know if Turbo had _that_ much confidence in me or if he was just trying to make this experience all the more chaotic by leveraging these people's freedoms against their win or not.

"Th'sweetart, start up your engine." Turbo's voice on the speakers directed to me this time, causing me to turn my attention from the stares of angry, and desperate civilians, to my own car again. Turning the key the engine ignited smoothly, yet retained a louder hum than I was accustomed too. I then placed both my hands on the steering wheel and looked straight ahead, diverting any further attention from the constant stares I continued to feel beside me. The clear roads past the start sign seemed large and wide open, though heavy clouds still lingered in the skies. I was lucky that it wasn't raining, at least.

"Prepare to take off!" Turbo said through the speakers, "In three… two… one. Go!" His voice leveled from a sort of anticipation to a full out yell, which caused me to slam my foot on the gas out of surprise. The car launched forward with a powerful kick, and before I knew it I was speeding away from the starting position and down the highway. Despite how fast I was going, however, I could hear the hard rumble of the other cars beside me. Briefly, my eyes looked from the road ahead of me, and slipped back to my left, and then my right. There were the two racers from before, and now that we were moving, I could briefly see the other three stationed on either side of them—two more to the far left lanes and an additional one driving beside the guy to my right. I could only see this because of the continual movement of ups and downs from the cars, as their speeds accelerated and decelerated in attempts to move past one another.

The one to my immediate right continued to stare, and even from behind the window I knew it was a stare of pure need to put an end to my race then and there. The right drivers car, steadily yet very much obvious to me, began to wiggle ever so slightly. I often noticed this sort of act while driving if someone was about to try and speed around me for not 'going fast' enough. But this was different. The right driver remained steady at my side for a good while, speeding up only a little bit to where his car was a head of mine on the track by a notch. That was when I reacted purely out of instinct.

I stepped on the breaks. Through the sudden depletion of speed, my body leaned forward, causing my attention to slip to the road ahead of me once again. It was there that I saw the driver, just as I did this, ram to his left in attempt to hit me. My absence beside him though from having beaked caused his car to continue launching leftward, and instead of hitting me he hit the driver that was initially to my left. The impact was hard, and through the powerful hum of our engines, the addition of breaking glass and crashes of metal expelled into the air.

I braked even harder then upon seeing this happen right in front of me, and swerved over, attempting to keep control of my vehicle as strongly as I could. It was only out of pure luck, and slowing down, that my car swept past the crash and continued onward.

I was already starting to panic. My arms started to shake as a cold adrenaline expelled through them. I had to pull my leg hard to get it off the floor and back onto the acceleration. Once I felt my foot on the right pedal, I stepped on it again, and slowly but surely began to catch up to the remaining three cars. I knew hanging back wouldn't do me any good, but I definitely wasn't going to drive side-by-side with these guys anymore. If one of them wanted to crash me on sight there was no doubt the others would want to try and do the same thing.

I started pressing down on the pedal then—hard. This took my car ahead by just a bit, but once I started moving faster so did the other cars. They weren't letting up one bit, and at this point I had no idea what else to do in order to get passed them.

"God, what do I do," I muttered to myself as I tried keeping my eyes on the road ahead of me. With every passing second I could feel my vehicle moving faster and faster, and likewise the cars beside mimic me. When my eyes did dart to the speedometer I saw for split second that it was hovering at 90 MPH, and then higher. After it hit 100 MPH, I started to look away. Going this fast made me feel vulnerable, this very much felt in the steering wheel. It felt lighter the faster I went; a sense of lightness that could be easily taken advantage of if I were to mess up. Although I knew it was probably no use, I tightened my muscles in attempts to hang onto the steering. I knew I was weak. I felt it in my trembling and knew it by my past. I could never lift heavy weights, or pick up simple things like boxes if they were too much for me. How was I supposed to take control of a speeding car if something bad were to happen?

 _BOOM!_ I heard a tire blow. My world seemed to slow down. The car that had been to my far left immediately swerved out of control, and slowed down a tad. Darting in my direction, I saw it dive at me at my side view mirror, and just before it hit me, I exhaled.

The road ahead of me vanished as my car flailed to the side and begun to spin. The car whose tire blew out flipped over mine, sideways, causing the backmost portion of my car to crunch inward, breaking the back windows and letting the air from the outside fly in. I could hear my tires scream as they held onto the ground, and the sound of the shattering car continue to flip. It was only with the help of the side railings that my car finally stopped with a loud thunk. When I couldn't hear the two remaining drivers engines anymore, a strange silence came to me.

I remained still for a moment as I stared wide-eyed at my dash.

"Help! Grahhh!" I heard the sound of the man's voice from the car that had hit mine. Despite what had just happened I felt compelled to get out of the car. Breaking through my fear and working past my shaking arms, I unbuckled myself and opened the door, though by stepping out seeing the impact of what had really happened.

I knew my car had been hit, but looking at it I saw the back-most portion had completely been crushed, with only the back tires remaining as they were. If that car had fell over me a few feet higher I would have surely been a goner, or at least unconscious. I didn't even want to think about it.

The other car looked even worse. Upside down, I saw every corner of it looked like it had taken a beating, and its back tires had been completely ripped apart. Every window had been shattered and its shards were lining the road, glistening under the cloudy skies like thousands of tiny stars.

"I can't move my legs!" The man cried again. I broke from my stunned standing position, and walked quickly over to him, bending over to peek inside the driver seat to get a better look. He was alive.

"I don't know what to do!" I yelled, becoming overwhelmed. I suddenly heard another humming sound. Not of engines, but of Cy-bugs.

With a loud _thunk_ I heard something land behind me. A shadow overcame both me and the tossed over vehicle. "This wasn't supposed to happen!" Turbo yelled, though irritably. "Why did his tires blow!?"

"I don't know…" I managed to stutter, turning around slowly to face him.

"I wasn't talking to you!" Turbo fussed as his claws tried bundling up into firsts. "These _humans_! I asked for adequate vehicles for this race, yet first thing one does is blow a tire!"

I placed a hand to my chest as I tried keeping myself calm. I watched as his eyes darted from my car and to the one in front of me.

"When those other idiot'th's cross'th the finish line give the winner the rest of the day off. As for the ones that crashed, _destroy_ them."

"What?" This escaped my lungs loudly. I saw one Cy-bug that had followed Turbo here launch into the sky, and dart the way we came, heading for the two drivers that had crashed at the start of the race. Another Cy-bug stepped forward and headed straight for the car beside me. Its mouth started to open, revealing thousands of turning circuits, and in addition to the mechanical grinding within its jaws, its green-eyed glow growing more thick and bright.

"No!" I yelled again. "Please, don't!"

I could hear the man in the car try and struggle, but it was no use. Reaching my hand out to him, I first tried to tear the door open, though because it was crushed I was unable to do so. My futile attempts to let the man out were halted when I felt Turbo's hand wrap around my body again and lift me into the air to pull me away just enough to where I couldn't do a thing but watch as the Cy-bug started eating the car whole with the driver still inside. I heard his screams through the crunching metal and glass.

"Oh Th'sweettart, what did I tell you about things like th'this?" Turbo said. "Don't concern yourself with the likes of _those_."

"Why are you doing this?" I yelled back, slamming my fists on his hands. "They were only doing what you told them to do!"

"They _tried_ doing what I told them to do, but failed miserably," Turbo responded. "Nobody is worthy to race on my track if they're going to crash not even half way through a race."

"Then what am I?" I slammed my hand on his hand again. I felt my eyes start to water. "Am I not worthy then of your track? I messed up! Why do they have to die? Why don't you just kill _me_?"

He paused briefly as he looked at me. "You know why… You are the _First User_. You are to be made an example of. What would the fun be in killing you? See, you're the one that is going to see my greatness for what it is. You're the only one that can really understand at this point." Turbo set me down then, only after his hands becoming freed from grasping me did he expel them outward towards the city, showcasing it as if it was something to be proud of. "Look at what I've accomplished! Years of being locked away, trapped, are finally over! I can retain my glory once again! All eyes are on me!"

"This shouldn't be how it goes!" I felt my muscles tense as I tried to hold back heaves and attempts to flail my arms in irritation. "When my brother made a way to connect our worlds, it should have been something wonderful! If we would have found you, we could have _helped_ you! There is no need to cause misery like this! If it's attention you want, then why do it like this!? Things can be different if you stop _now_!"

His brown eyes settled again on me, though only for a brief moment before they became filled with green pixilation. From this sudden transformation his teeth began to clench together, and a buzzing sound escaped his throat much like that of a Cy-bugs. Then, just as quickly as this change took him, he charged at me.

Not expecting this, I let out a scream and fell backwards. My body hit the ground all at once and at the same time one of his hands fell on top of me, pinning me down onto the concrete. His face grew extremely close to mine before he opened his mouth, exposing hundreds of sharp teeth.

"Stop! Please, no!" I yelled fearfully. Out of a desperate attempt to help myself I pushed my hands forward, though knowing well that it wouldn't do much good against his strength. I was ready for his mouth to completely clamp over me and end everything right there, but even then death didn't come.

The angry purr in his throat vanished quickly and the pressure he had on my body lifted. From there, he pulled back, and from a good few feet away, I could see the green Cy-bug pixilation disappear, being replaced by his brown eyes once again. When he fully came to, I saw what could only be described as pure devastation overcome his facial features. His mouth hung open as he stared at me, and then slowly looked away from me and to his own hands.

We sat there in silence for a moment. I was unsure of what to say, or even what to do at that point. The more I stared at him, as fearful as I was, the more I could see that, maybe, he had scared himself, too.

"Go! Leave me!" he said, continuing to keep his eyes settled on his hands. "Take her back to the castle."

I could hear another Cy-bug fly up from behind me, though despite this I continued to look at Turbo. He was so mesmerized, so consumed. Staring at his hands he didn't even acknowledge my presence anymore, and after a few moments he turned away from me.

The Cy-bug that had been sent to take me back to the castle quickly came up behind me then. Even as it plucked me from the ground and we flew off, I kept my eyes glued to Turbo. Lifting into the skies and moving past some of the tall castle towers were the only things that caused me to finally look away. My racing heart was starting to subside at that point, being replaced by complete bafflement and a different kind of fear. It was the fear that I didn't know anything...the fear that you couldn't find answers to problems. There was another problem here, and it wasn't just what was happening to my world.

The Cy-bug that had me started to land. The throne room showed its colors quickly upon us as we landed, replacing the cloudy skies that were remaining rather dormant outside. Once I was lowered enough, I was let go, dropping only a foot or so to the ground and landing with a light thunk that seemed to echo and bounce off the ceilings, though became buried quickly as the loud hum of the Cy-bug took it over. The Cy-bug remained present for a moment, and then it took back off through the window and disappeared.

"Kailey!" Dannen's voice cried, but not quite as loud as he could have managed. "He didn't hurt you… did he?" My brother was tired, and it was starting to show through his voice now, too.

I turned around to face him quickly. He was still in the cadge hanging from the ceiling. "Well… no." I shrugged. "I crashed though. Never been in a wreck before."

"He's been talking about you racing even before you got here," Dannen responded wearily. "It seems like all he wants to do is race."

"What do you mean?" I narrowed my eyes and then blinked up at him. "He… wants _attention_. He wants the world, not to race."

"I've been with him longer than you have, Kailey. And I know better now. Being trapped and forced to listen to him, and to contemplate about his behavior has made me realize something. Something that worries me. Something that _terrifies_ me." Dannen paused briefly as he sighed. It was almost as if he was suddenly struck with a revelation. "Do you remember those movies we used to watch when we were kids? About artificial intelligence? About inanimate things that we didn't think could... well, think? That we didn't think could _feel_?"

"Yeah, I remember," I stated, my voice growing more weary to match his.

"This is real. Game characters are real, breathing thriving beings just like you and me. And I never realized it. Nobody did. When I sit here and listen to Turbo on a daily basis, all I can think is how weird this all is. He wants to race, he wants attention, he wants to be loved. And he was deprived from it. How do you think that makes me feel, as a human, a creator to that creation? I didn't program him, but it makes it all the same."

I lowered my eyes to the floor. I was expressionless, but deep down I felt this sense of dread. I hadn't thought about it like that. When I hung out with Ralph and the rest of the group, I didn't see them as game characters. I saw them as if they were real people, and didn't give second thought to what they actually were, no matter how drastically different they looked from the way I did. Turbo I treated the same way, but to a different extent. He was real, but he was a monster, and he had done nothing but try and hurt me since we first met. But thinking about it in my brothers light, perhaps it was simply the one of two directions that could have happened to all of these game characters.

"Cy-bugs are a virus." Dannen spoke up again. "All they can do is kill, eat and multiply. Viruses take over what they eat. Turbo is trapped. The coding of that Cy-bug that must have eaten him while in the game world is at a constant battle with his true self. And the sad thing is… there is nothing I can do about it. I don't know whether to fear him anymore, or to _pity_ him."

"Me too," I responded airily. For a second my eyes started to swell with tears, but I stopped myself. Lifting my purple gloved hand I swept them past my eyes, whipping anything that tried to drip from my lashes.

"I don't know if we're going to get out of here, but when it all comes down to it, he has to die." Dannen's last statement wasn't filled with anger, or revenge, but held a burden to it that he seemed to pass onto me. Lifting my eyes to finally look at him I beheld his slunk over, tired form. His face and hair was a mess and his arms seemed to shake as he held onto the bars before him. "I just—don't know what to do anymore." Dannen lightly let go of the bars then and let his hands slide down to his sides. After his hands fell, his body fell back slightly, and he landed on his bottom, letting out a slow exhale of exhaustion.

The sudden sound of doors opening caused me to turn my attention from my brother, and to two strangers. The guards walked over to me and grabbed both of my arms, and turned me quickly from my brother and back to the hallway they came from. I wanted to look back at my brother and to be with him just a bit longer, but his words left me with such a sting that I found I was thinking more of what he said than his presence. I wasn't even concerned where these people were taking me, let alone what was going to become of the days ahead.

"Hey, sit up straight." One of the strangers shook me lightly, noticing my outward appearance. "You have lunch set up for you, you need to eat."

Even as we walked and the smell of food overcame my nostrils I could have cared less. In fact, I didn't want to eat. How could I possibly eat when a realization like that had become so evident? Those so concerned with staying alive, going about their daily routines, didn't know what I was feeling, what reality had just became evident to me.

I had been so out of it that I didn't realize that I had been slammed into a seat. Before me was a variety of dishes: plates filled with breads, meats and pastas and even to the sides were a couple of chocolate cakes topped with whipped cream and cherries. I sat there and stared absently at the food, listening to the strangers footsteps walk away and then deplete completely, further isolating myself which seemed to compress all my thoughts and feelings within.

Because Dannen wasn't in the room with me there was nobody I could talk to, nobody that really understood the truth of what was going on. Giving me that idea and that task only further placed the burden of the world on my shoulders.

"Well look who it is." A slightly sarcastic voice pierced into the silent room, slicing it in half. "Aren't you all dolled up in that purple racing suit. Figured that would happen."

I finally managed to lift my head up, though before I could turn around a hand landed on my shoulder, causing me to gasp and shake.

"Rachel? I asked as I saw her light brown hands clash with the white cloth on the shoulder of my suit.

"Ah, surprised to see me? Thought I was dead, huh?"

"Not really…" I admitted. "You seem pretty capable."

"Look, I wanted to… apologize what happened back there. You know I was just trying to do my job."

"By hurting innocent people? By hurting my friends." I found my lips were pouting again with irritability. I suddenly recalled she was the last one that had seen Ralph and the gang alive—if she escaped then perhaps there was hope. Or perhaps not. I wasn't sure, but I wasn't going to openly talk to her. I didn't want to ask her anything.

"Please don't start that again. I'm doing what I can." Rachel sighed, though her voice quickly turned from casual to serious. "You need to eat. Big things are going to happen. Really big things."

"What do you mean?" I narrowed my eyes and further grimaced.

"Can't really say." Rachel let go of my shoulder and walked around me, taking a seat to the far left of the table to come into eye contact with me. Seeing her then, I noticed a large scar on her head that still looked fresh. "If I told you it would ruin the surprise. Besides, we can't have rumors going around about what's going to happen. I don't think Turbo would like it very much."

"Look, I'm not going to be swayed by your manipulations anymore. Leave me alone." I wrapped my arms tightly around my chest to show I wasn't joking around.

"I know we've had our differences, but you really need to listen this time. You need to keep your strength up. Be prepared. Something big can happen today, tomorrow, I don't know, in a few months but its coming. Taking care of yourself is the first step. Oh, and another little tip, it's always good to have a Light Cycle in your boot."

" _What_?" I spat out my next question fast.

"Don't play deaf with me." Rachel reached across the table, grabbed a piece of bread that was sitting on my platter, tore it apart, and started to eat it. "It's always good to keep a Light Cycle in your boot. You never know."

I stared at her for a few seconds before I began to make a plate out of the assortment of foods on the table. I didn't want to talk to her, or even listen to her, but how on earth could she possibly know I still had the Light Cycle? And why was she implying for me to hang onto it?

Rachel wasn't looking at me anymore. She was too preoccupied with the piece of bread in her hand, which left me again to ponder about what she just told me. It was hard to trust anything she said, especially since she wasn't the most trustworthy of people in the first place, but her warning stuck with me.

Taking the first bite of my meal, I quickly was reminded how hungry I was. Going without food for long periods of time was having its impact on me, and I should be keeping myself fed regardless of how distrusting I was of her. With every bite I was starting to feel a little better, and the more I ate the more normal I felt.

Rachel continued to nibble on her piece of bread, though from growing comfortable, she propped her boots on the table and reached over to grab another piece, dipping it in some chicken juice that sat in a bowel to the side.

"Those Cy-bugs sure gave your friends a fight for their lives, you should have seen them kick those parasites' butts." She finally spoke up, though quickly muffled her words when she stuck the food in her mouth and started chewing. "It surprised even me, really."

I stopped briefly to listen more closely to her, although I didn't respond.

"Yep, always good to have a Light Cycle in your boot. Never know, ya never know."

Through her laid back attitude and smacks while she was talking with her mouth full, the sound of a canon went off in the distance. She seemed really unfazed by it, but I on the other hand sat up with alert.

"Don't worry about that, that's not what I'm talking about." Rachel swallowed finally and dived in to take another handful of food. "You'll know when it comes. That's just, ya know, humanity fight back and all. 'Bout damn time if you ask me, although as of right now that fighting will do them no good. Why do you think I'm so concerned to keep people alive? If you're too caught up in fighting back without knowing what you're doing you're going to die, simple as that."

"Why are you telling me this?" I finally stated.

"Sometimes the lines of whose side were on is blurred. I'm just trying to establish that I'm not your enemy, I'm your friend. What I did back there to you was pretty nasty, I agree, but I'm just trying to stay alive and to keep my granddad alive for that matter. But now I know what's going on with those game friends of yours and that little British nerd. So just sit back, try and tolerate Bug Boy for a while, and you'll be okay."

Sitting up, Rachel whipped her hands on her police uniform, and walked over to me, patting my shoulder one more time before she started walking away.

Another canon went off in the distance, sending a shockwave throughout the room even from afar. The sound of Cy-bug wings seemed to buzz and retreat from the castle walls surrounding me, and off to the sound of those explosions.

This would be the first of many days of those canon shots. 


	10. The Roar of Monsters.(ksd)

"What do you mean they're th'still not retreating?!" Turbo's voice filled the castle walls, expelling from the throne chair and outward like an epicenter of an earthquake would distribute onto a landmass. Before us, Rachel tried to respond to his yelling, but comparing the two might as well have been the equivalent of comparing a tyrannosaurus's roar to a coo of a mouse.

"They're still high in numbers. The military hasn't bothered calling back their forces. They are focused on getting to the castle… getting to you, Your Majesty." Rachel's tone was honest, but sincere in her attempts to not further irritate the Cy-brid.

"Continue to distribute the Cy-bugs to their location, then. Keep the waves coming at them!" Turbo's arms rose slightly as he clutched the air. "A human army should not outmatch my Cy-bugs!"

"With all due respect, King Turbo," Rachel started cautiously, "there might be a possibility the human forces are adapting game world technology. I saw those that had held Kailey beforehand were using such things, and of course, Sergeant Calhoun had the _Hero's Duty_ gun. Even if she did perish during the events prior to bringing back the First User, it does not guarantee her weapon died with her."

"You th'said you _saw_ her die." Turbo was stern suddenly, focusing all his irritation on the fine syllables that expelled between the front of his teeth.

"She was hit in the face with a shotgun blast…" Rachel hesitated for a brief moment as she breathed; by all means this was not the Rachel I was so used to seeing. Normally she would have been blasting curses at everyone. "She was carried away before I saw what happened. The last I saw the Cy-bug swarm had gone after them."

Turbo closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. "Tell me some good news then," he said. "I had at least heard news that the Cy-bugs were able to catch some of these humans. I need more information."

"Well, yes… but, not really." Rachel's eyes glanced at the floor. "The Cy-bugs were able to catch someone of more importance than a human soldier."

"Oh really?" Turbo's eyes remained shut a moment longer before he asked, "How important?"

"I'm not really sure who it is, but from the little detail I have received it's a game character—a Program."

From Rachel's comment, Turbo finally opened his eyes and stared with an intense glare down at her. Apparently everything that had slipped from her mouth was enough to send a shockwave of thoughts through his head.

I found even I, who had been standing there among them, started to grow concerned; in a different way of course. The only game characters I knew that escape the Shiva Laser at Litwak's were Calhoun, Felix, Ralph and Vanellope, along with a handful of others that I noticed along my journey. Could one of the Cy-bugs have caught one of them? If so, that could only lead to disaster. The only reason a Cy-bug would think to bring them to Turbo was for getting information out of them, or to kill them. I couldn't bear to see another one of my friends shatter like what had happened to Chell.

"Oh," Turbo cooed, as a smirk began to drift across his mouth, revealing his sharp teeth. "When will this Program arrive?"

"Very soon," Rachel said. "I also think it's important to tell you that there was another large Program that was spotted on the outside of the city. As of now it hasn't approached the innards of our territory but it's a growing concern."

Upon her words, the front doors of the throne room to the outside opened, revealing instantly two Cy-bugs who began to escort a large armored Program into the room. However, it was none of my friends who I had initially thought. From the looks of it, it was another soldier: a _Hero's Duty_ soldier.

"Oh, well isn't this a surprise," Turbo said upon seeing the soldier, watching as Rachel acted along with the Cy-bugs, and relived him of the large _Hero's Duty_ weapon that had survived with him. "You must be Kohut… Calhoun's second in command, am I right?"

The soldier kept his head down the entire walk all the way up before the throne, but once Kohut and the Cy-bugs came to a stop, he looked up.

"The First User!" Kohut let lose in a long breath, as if all held-worry was relieved. "She's alive."

"Yes, she is," Turbo said cautiously, and glanced down at me, twisting his cerci from where they were and circled them around the ground where I stood, as if he was worried Kohut would rise and try to take me at any moment.

"I was afraid you would have killed her." Kohut seemed to take the time to look around then, noticing the cadge in which contained my brother on the far upper corner of the room. "And her brother as well."

"I have my… well, reath'sons," Turbo managed to get out. "But of course that's none of your concern. How did you escape the arcade before the portal was destroyed? And don't think of lying to me, or I'll have you killed here and now."

"It has become apparent to me that many items from the arcade were dispersed into the real world during the portals destruction, but not quite as many of the Programs that inhabited it," Kohut said. "Of course, when I say that, I'm not sure about the numbers exactly, but I am _not_ the only survivor. There are other Programs out there, and a lot of them are teaming up with the Users to destroy you."

Turbo chuckled. "Destroy me? With what? Their weapons have no effect on me or my Cy-bugs, and I hardly believe they were able to mass produce your _Hero's Duty_ gun for it to be enough to destroy my ever growing army." Turbo lifted his clawed finger to give Rachel a heads up, which brought her attention to bring him the _Hero's Duty_ gun she had relieved from Kohut. After the exchange, Turbo continued. "Do you see this?" Turbo gestured to the gun he held between his thumb and index claw, its size quite small in comparison to his own. "This weapon is the only thing that could possibly help lower the numbers of my army, and now it's no longer a threat to me, because I have it here, in my hands. I don't even know if it would hurt me, quite honestly, but you never know."

I watched Turbo as I stood beside him, looking up at how delicately he held the _Hero's Duty_ gun.

"The only other _Hero's Duty_ gun possibly in existence right now is the one Sergeant Calhoun possessed, and possibly the one or two that the humans, let's say, _somehow_ recreated with the lack of resources in their crumbling world."

At this point it was not only me that was intently focused on what Turbo was getting at. I saw both Rachel and Kohut watch as the gun dangled between his claws like a man hanged at the gallows, and with every passing second the tense feeling in the room grew thicker and more unbearable.

It was after this brief pause in which held the extent of all our anxiety, that Turbo suddenly hugged his claws together, and with a quick snap, pierced the _Hero's Duty_ gun. Like any other Program, it dissolved into tiny fragments of pixilation, falling onto the floor and scattering around before us like glass.

"And now it's gone, hoo-hoo!" Turbo laughed. "You are a fool to think your pathetic attempts at fighting back would be enough to even put so much as a _dent_ in my reign! The only thing that could possibly extinguish my army would be a beacon, and that only existed in the _Hero's Duty_ game! You have nothing against me, filth!"

Unlike most people who were put in the line of Turbo's spitfire, Kohut, however, remained poised. Like the soldier he was programmed to be, he continued to stand upright and proud, and even though all odds were against him, and an evident loss of his freedom was at hand, he would not lower his gaze to the Cy-brid. It was quite extraordinary, really. I had come to learn through these past few days that although Programs had a set emotional complex, and by all means had every human tendency _I_ could have, they still remained strong to their purpose. I felt a hinge of inspiration grow in me. I wanted to be like Kohut. I wanted to be fearless in the face of impending doom, strong even though I was at my lowest.

However, he wasn't fearless at all. Even Calhoun, who I had seen carry herself like a stone, maybe, wasn't exactly fearless. Perhaps under that straight face and powerful stare burying itself into the face of danger, was worry. Maybe there was doubt, despair, anger, anxiety.

My only question then would be: how? How does someone become that graceful, in which emotions such as those were concealed to where nobody could know? For a brief moment I imagined how my mother described pain to me many years ago, comparing herself to a dove on a branch.

"You would never know it was in pain," she would tell me. "It's survival against predators counts on it. It can't look weak, it simply can't. If it showed how much pain it was in, it would be an easy target. It would sooner sit on that branch, bundled up in its own grief and ultimately fall to its own death, then show it."

And that was what Kohut was doing right now.

"Now, let's see..." Turbo flicked his fingers briefly to send some of digital fragment leftovers off of his claws. "What th'should I do with you? I cannot keep you alive, that's for sure. Humans are one thing but you, no... you're a threat to me. Keeping you alive would endanger everything I've worked so hard for."

I felt like my eyelids wanted to close shut on their own, but for some reason I continued to stare at Kohut and the two Cy-bugs standing behind him. It was like watching a train wreck. No matter how horrific it was, you could not look away.

"Then you had better kill me quick," Kohut mocked him. That eye-of-the-storm gaze he had retained until his point was suddenly reflected onto Turbo himself, who took this act as a challenge. I could see Turbo bubbling with irritation, and like a domino effect, that emotion was somehow transferred into a subconscious command that triggered the Cy-bugs standing behind Kohut to leap forward and slam the solider face down onto the hard floors. From Kohut's fall, two items flew from his armor: some sort of radar, and a spare handgun that the _Hero's Duty_ soldiers would often carry as a second form of defense.

"Don't kill him... not just yet..." Turbo's voice seemed to sway casually despite the look on his face. "Rachel, pick up the radar. As for that pistol, bring it over here."

Rachel did as she was told and walked over beside Kohut, taking hold of the two items as directed. After she sat up, and started over to Turbo, he lifted his hand to stall her.

"No, not to me..." Turbo said, up until that point continuing to keep his glare shot down at the fallen soldier. "Give it to her. Give it to the _First User_."

"What?" This escaped me in a gasp. "What for?"

As Rachel walked up to hand me the futuristic _Hero's Duty_ hand pistol, Turbo continued to speak.

"You fight for the User, then?" Turbo attempted to mock Kohut back in spite. "I'm sorry to tell you that these gamers, don't fight for you, regardless of what you think. The First User, especially, does not fight for you. She is mine to do with as I please, and to tell her what I desire. And for once, I'm not going to kill you myself... I'm going to let her do it."

Rachel had extended the gun outward for me to take at that exact moment. Once I heard what Turbo was asking me to do, I stalled. I felt every function in my body grow stale, and the upper portion of my stomach turn. I felt a cold sensation sweep over me, and dive into my veins, striking me down as if a surge of electricity had just pelted me from all angles. Rachel saw this, but despite my outward reaction, she shoved the pistol in my hands anyway, keeping on her face a stern look like a mother would do while trying to make their child do something. She tried mouthing something to me, but my mind was racing in so many directions that I couldn't tell what she was trying to tell me. Just that feeling of the gun's cold metal against my palm was all that it took for me to imagine what was to come.

"I—I can't... I won't! This is wrong!" I said, all the while shaking as I looked down at Kohut, who was rather an easy target from being held down by the two Cy-bugs.

"What difference does it make?!" Turbo yelled. "You do this all the time, don't you? All those first-person shooter games? _Halo, Metroid, Hero's Duty, Call of Duty,_ even! You kill those avatars without remorse! You destroy those Programs without looking back, and _now_ you're telling me it's wrong?"

"This is different!" I retaliated. "He can't regenerate here! We're not in a game, and we're not _playing_ a game! This is real!"

"Who says this isn't a game?" Turbo mused to himself, but all the while continuing to keep his voice loud as a way to intimidate me. "Who says that the real world doesn't have any of those same qualities? You see him? He's an easy target. He's lying there, helpless and you're telling me you're not going to take advantage of that?"

I followed Turbo's words and looked down at the fallen _Hero's Duty_ soldier. Seeing Kohut being restrained, face smacked first onto the floor, drenched my heart in agony. The mere idea of killing someone, most especially when they were at such a low and helpless point, was dishonoring in every aspect. The feeling that I got then was similar to when I received my first bee-bee gun. Something that was considered a 'boys toy' was something that I played with as often as I could. It was family trips such as going up north a ways, and playing in the forest surrounding a ranch, that I recalled first aiming my bee-bee gun at a sparrow.

What reason did I have to do that? And now, what reason did I have to do the same to Kohut?

"No... not like this. I will not kill someone, Program or not. I'm not a murderer; I'm not a Cy-bug!" After I let this out I tossed the pistol on the ground again, causing it to skate across the floor and as far away from me as possible without triggering it to fire.

After the echo of the friction of the metal weapon against the floor subsided, I managed to look up at Turbo. His smile had faded, and his arms had slunked down before him. His mouth hung open, ever so slightly, as if he had taken slight offense to what I had just said. I saw his brown eyes drift from me and downward to himself, scanning over his monstrous form as if it was something he hadn't thought about, or considered taking a good look at in a long time.

"No..." He muttered to himself. "If you're not going to do it..." He started to stutter, his tongue becoming rather uncontrollable as he tried to get out the right words. "No. NO! I will not let you dismiss my commands without consensuses! If you're not going to kill him then you will watch it happen instead!"

One of Turbo's hands snapped out of place, slowing down only as two of his sharp claws pinched my head, and forced me to turn my attention to look down at Kohut. Fighting back was of no use, since the wrong movement could very well cause him to pierce my skull. I was a puppet again to his command, and although reluctant, I watched as the Cy-bug to the right lift one of its sharp legs into the air, and dive down onto Kohut, stabbing the back of his head and causing him to suddenly disintegrate into pixels.

"Gahhhh! No!" I yelled this after Kohut's body disappeared, becoming nothing but a pile of glass on the floor. It was then that Turbo finally let go of me, allowing me to follow my despair onto the ground. I hit my knees quick with a thud, and then raised one hand upwards to my face while the other kept me from toppling over. _Not another one. God, please, not another one,_ I thought to myself.

"Why do you mourn for him you didn't even know him." Turbo said this very straightforwardly, seeming to dismiss my sadness as if it wasn't real.

"I might as well have!" I got out through a set of staggered breaths. "Is this really what you want?"

"I do what I have to. And it's best that you take my example and do the same. If you mess up, if you look weak, you're nothing!"

"I can't stay here anymore!" I started to stand up. I didn't care what he was going to say then. I didn't care if he tried to use my brother as a barrier to keep me here, I didn't even care if he struck me here and now. "This life you have created, this reality is wrong! People are afraid of you and it's going to get worse! Whoever Turbo really was is not in control anymore. You're becoming a Cy-bug! You're turning into one of them!"

"I don't want to hear your th'sermons!" Turbo hollered with a growl. "You want to leave, then go ahead! Let's see how far you can run! The moment you fall, the moment you realize that the real world is a big, dangerous and unforgiving place, you'll realize how much you need me. The moment you th'stop running will be the moment my Cy-bugs will bring you back here."

"I'll run for the rest of my life if I have to!" I jumped from my spot then, and charged for the door. Although I was making a clear escape to the opened front doors of the castle, Turbo or his Cy-bugs didn't come running after me. Staying true to his word, Turbo stayed put as I rushed down the steps of the castle, disappearing over the front way and down onto the streets below. Immediately, and all around me were Cy-bugs patrolling the streets, and people at work. As I ran by I saw them stop what they were doing to watch me, some even letting out, _"It's the First User_ ," as if my sight was a rare occurrence (which it was).

Like a lost animal, I darted whichever way showed the least resistance. I maneuvered through the Cy-bugs, and around the stationed workers, rushing down the street as fast as I could, worried that if I stopped to look around me that I would only be taken back to where I started.

Even a strange thump, like the sound of giants walking the earth, didn't frighten me from disappearing into the city streets.

I didn't know how long I had been running, but I felt like I was exhausted. It had gotten to the point where the more I tried to run, the heavier my heart seemed to hang in my chest. I found that I stopped running at a certain point, but despite my tiresome state, I kept moving.

Although the Cy-bugs were not diving down to take me back to the castle, they were still there, ever lingering above the buildings or around the corners of the streets, waiting for me to give up. I knew this because it seemed they turned their attention on me whenever I passed by, and even more so because at a certain point I realized I was being followed, this growing following of Cy-bugs getting larger with every turn.

The people, on the other hand, avoided me.

As I passed by I could see concern growing on their expressions. It was like wherever I was, chaos followed. I heard the continued mumbles of my apparent nickname, " _The First User_ " being passed on to one another. Some, even in there stress of working, would take the time to sit up and glare at me, whispering under their breath profanities or other such means as to let me know I was doing something wrong.

"This is her fault," some would say.

"Why does that monster king keep her safe and hidden away while everyone else works?"

"This is all part of some big conspiracy, and she's the one behind it all."

"This has to be an act."

Virtually none of these words spoken about me were of good will. I received no smiles, no wave of hands—not a single syllable was turned in my direction that spoke kindness. There were some children who gave me an extra long look, as if watching my slow pace down the street was worthy enough to pity, but even then so a parent would turn them away from me. Turbo had thought to make a spectacle of me, which was a success, but I surely wasn't an example to be made. I didn't understand it though. How could these people have so much hatred in their hearts? How could they possibly think I was the bad guy?

Assumptions, rumors, speculations. It was a part of the human condition which required the pointing of fingers. I was now the bad guy, the outcast. I wondered if this was how Ralph or Vanellope felt? Of course the situations were different, but the feeling had to be mutual.

The sound of running water slowly encased the road ahead of me, and to the side was one of the large fountains that seemed to set itself apart in beauty compared to the other buildings surrounding it. It was the first thing that looked refreshing since I stepped foot out of the castle, and it only took a second looking at it that I realized how hot I was. Normally sticking my hands and slathering fountain water on my face would have been the least of my desires, but at this point I didn't care.

Approaching the water structure I didn't pay much mind to the people that were already there. It wasn't until I made it close enough in which they noticed me, pausing their conversation and eyeing me down as if I was going to tattle tale on whatever they were talking about. Instead of staying silent as I approached the water, though, one of them spoke up, and said, "Hey look who it is, it's the First User." The name was getting old fast. "Or better yet, the kings pet, his trophy wife." Their words were bluntly sarcastic and rude. I kept quiet as I reached my hands into the water, attempting to ignore their pestering.

"How does it feel living in a castle? I bet it feels nice. One of these days' someone's going to slip poison into your drink."

" _What_?" That caught me off guard. I finally pulled myself away from the water and stared right at them. "Exuse me?"

"Don't think you're off the hook," the worker continued. "King Turbo might be the one in control, but everyone at this point knows who you really are."

"What am I then?" I dared them, narrowing my eyes."What do you _think_ I am?"

"Sleezy whore, that's what!" He jabbed this out quickly, and the words themselves did just that as they hit my ears. The small wall I tried to build by being strong immediately shattered and came crumbling down. My very well-being was like a tower made of glass; simply the lightest of words cracked its exterior. Is that what they really thought of me? Surely not everyone could believe that.

"I am suffering right along with you!" I tried to plea. "I don't want to toss around who has it worse, but you can't just assume something like that! Turbo has taken everything away from me!"

I could see through their snickering this made no difference. No matter what I said, their darkened hearts weren't going to change. I felt so helpless, and although I had escaped the castle walls, I was no more free than I was. I didn't understand it. Why did people become like this?

In my pit I clenched my palms together, and retreated my arms around my chest in a tight hug. I wished I could show them I was telling the truth. I wish I had the strength to stand up for myself, and to have the right words spill from my lips that would somehow reach into their souls and tell them what they were doing was wrong. Even more so, I wish I was powerful enough to put an end to all of this. I was just one girl though, what was I supposed to do?

Among the falling water I heard that ever distant footstep again, but along with it the sound of wings swept the air. For an instant I thought the sound of flight originated from a Cy-bug finally coming down to take me back to the castle, but as the seconds lingered on I realized this sounded much different. Instead of the usual buzz of Cy-bug wings, this was more elongated in its pounds. It wasn't until a shadow overtook the skies and the workers before me suddenly rushed away that I knew something else was here.

The large green feathered creature then dropped down gracefully, making sure to land at ease as its wings continued to flap despite being so low to the ground. Because of the fountain beside it, tiny water droplets were taken into the gust and dispersed, leaving some of the mist to flutter onto my face. Once it landed I had to take a good long look at what it was. The bird-like monster was very familiar, very much so to where I clearly knew that it was one of the creatures in one of the console games that used to be at Litwak's. I had known other Programs had survived the destruction of the arcade, since Kohut made that very clear when he was being interrogated. However, I had no idea monsters, especially of this size could have made it out. It was possible that all kinds of Programs could have survived.

"Quro.. err..." I tried to say the bird creature's name from the _Monster Hunter_ game, but for some reason I couldn't pronounce it. I could only stare as the colorful emerald shaded feathers glistened under what little sunlight made its way through the clouds, becoming drenched in that blast of mist that seemed to linger longer than it should have. The bird's feathers fluffed briefly, reminding me of my own pet cockatoo and how when I gave her a bath she would puff up like that out of bliss. This creature though, seemed to be minding its own business, which is why I was a little concerned with how quick those workers were to run away.

"Qurupeco! Wow, that's a tongue twister, why don't I just, err, call you Bert," I suddenly spilled, taking pride in remembering the weird creatures name only for a short time until it turned around. It looked startled. I saw its beak begin to part, revealing its predatory teeth as the red portion of its chest expanded briefly. After the exchange of caution, its beak opened wide, and its wings flared outward before it let loose a terrifying screamed.

I instantly covered my ears. The sound was dreadful, sending a shockwave through my body that made me recoil. After its sudden scream, the bird started clicking it's wings together at the bending point, causing two rock like objects that apparently were part of its body to ignite a spark. Within its gesture of attack, I realized it was in my best interest to get out of there, so without another word I sped as fast as I could around, though this proved to be futile in its sudden move.

Powerfully, the bird ignited fire at me.

I couldn't even spill my own set of profanities before the blast prior to the fire hit me first, pushing me away from the blaze but sending me into the fountain as a result. Even when I was submerged for that brief second, I saw above the water Bert start skyward again, disappearing quickly and out of sight after but only a few moments. I didn't hesitate then to push my head out from under the water, gasping as my face made contact with the air. I was dumbfounded, quite honestly, and wondered why it would yell at me, and then go flying off like that so quickly. When the workers didn't return to patronize me, however, was when I recalled hearing something during my time at Litwak's about the game that my brother had showed me that night.

 _"The Qurupeco can mimic the call of any other monster in the game."_ I spoke this aloud, seriously at first, but after it came out I started to chuckle. It was a rarity to have even seen a monster of the size I just witnessed, let alone anything larger. I would have assumed the distributive process of the characters in the arcade through the Shiva Laser would have been selective, and by my guess, the bigger the Program, the less likely it would have been to get out. After all, the only Programs I knew that escaped were my friends, Kohut and that Sonic and Pikcahu that I saw briefly at the military base about a week ago. By all means Qurupeco... well, in this case Bert, was only going about its basic programming to call other monsters like it would in the game world, and thus nothing to be worried about.

But oh boy, was I wrong.

I literally felt the water grow warmer when I heard a loud and terrifying roar. My hands shot immediately again up to my ears, though even this wasn't enough to evade the horrible sound. This roar, I didn't recognize whatsoever. I wasn't the best at that _Monster Hunter_ game, so I didn't make it to far in the ranks. But I could only assume that this was the worst, most horrible situation I could have been in at this point.

"What is that thing?" I heard some people say, pointing from the road and into the distance. I could faintly hear the sound of those same pacing stomps that had lingered through the day, but now reminding me much of that sound the T-Rex would make in _Jurassic Park_. Even the water around me started to wobble, creating a likeness effect of the film as I stood there staring at the liquid move and spread with waves. It didn't even occur to me until I saw more people gather on the road, joining in the pointing and awes that spilled from their mouths as they watched whatever was heading right towards us. I took this as an opportunity to join them, stepping from the fountain, soaking wet, and making it over to the road.

For once, nobody glanced at me. For the first time since I set foot outside, I wasn't the one of concern for the workers. I followed their pointing fingers down the road, down the somewhat narrow path between the buildings and trees, until at the very end, walking closer by the second, and growing larger as it came near, was the biggest, baddest and most horrible of all monsters of the game.

"Deviljho." I heard one of the little kids in the group say though a mesmerized thousand-yard stare.

The realization of what it was called sent me into some sort of mental back flash. I suddenly saw my brother playing the game, laughing at it and screaming at the same time. The image of him narrowed onto the screen, showing the game world for what it was. The monster was relentless as it shoveled through the gamers, knocking them over and sometimes pinning them down to try and eat them. Sometimes the beast would breath dragon breath onto them when it's physical attacks no longer sufficed it's needs. Everything about this monster, everything I've seen it do, was only impending disaster, and here it was, in the real world, walking up the street.

"Holy shit." This escaped my lips easily, as I joined the boy and everyone else in their stare. It was then, in our comfort of watching the gigantic Program approach us, that it roared again.

Everyone went scurrying. In an instant, that crowd that was so keen on watching the thing haled ass out of there so fast that I didn't even know where half of them wound up disappearing to. While for the most part people took refuge in the buildings, I started to panic along with a select few of the other workers that remained in the street with me. One person in particular started running in circles, while others darted ahead as fast as they could down the street. I decided to follow these runners, figuring the more distance I put between myself and the gigantic doom that was heading straight toward us would be better then hiding in one of the nearby buildings.

A horrible decision.

The slow pace of the Deviljho started getting faster and faster, and more staggered and violent, until suddenly it's soft thunks on the earth were like quakes that were heading straight towards us. Because of this attack I let loose a scream, watching as the Cy-bugs that once were acting as some sort of chaperon fly over and behind me. Turning my head briefly to see this sudden outbreak in battle, I saw the Cy-bugs attempt to jab at it, which did some good to a point, but they wouldn't dare bite into it. I suppose it was because of Turbo's control and orders.

I knew that when a Cy-bug ate a human they would simply die, but eating a Program was different. When a Cy-bug ate a Program, they became what they ate. For once in my life, I was thankful that Turbo did something right for once in his control. At least we wouldn't have to worry about some Deviljho Cy-brid.

Surprisingly, the Cy-bugs weren't able to hold it back all that much. Despite their combined forces attacking the creature, Deviljho continued charging forward and at us. Although it was set on getting rid of the Cy-bugs around it, it had its target, and it was us. It wasn't going to let us escape at this point.

"We're all gonna die!" one of the workers spat out uncontrollably as his arms wailed in the air.

I found it was kind of ironic how for once I wasn't about to be killed by a Cy-bug. Programs had a sort of sentience to them, but I suppose not all of them were nice outside the game world. Like the dragon that attacked me on my first hour in _Skyrim_ , this Program was made to be a monster; an antagonist at that, and by God was it going to stick to the program.

 _BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!_ It's charging footsteps were loud now, and the earth shook so violently that I thought I would trip before it sent it's foot down on me. At my back it's shadow slowly started to take over my form, around it's towering figure the other shadows of the Cy-bugs buzzing around filled the air as they attempted to slow it down.

"The things a damn tank!" I hollered as my face twisted in terror. "IT'S A TANK! THERE IS NO STOPPING IT!"

 _BOOM!_ At that moment the gigantic creature jumped and slammed onto the road, crushing a Cy-bug that was at the wrong place at the wrong time. The shockwave of the Deviljho's landing sent a quake through the street, breaking and embedding a small crater where it stood. I suddenly tripped sideways from the impact, my wet body from the fountain having hit the concrete with such force that the pain could be compared to a hundred ant bites or jellyfish stings. Although the trip caused me pain, I wouldn't let my eyes off of the monster location.

I managed to look up next, seeing the beast for what it was up close and personal. It's torso stretched over me as its head fell down to its foot that had contained the faintly living Cy-bug underneath. I saw it's mouth part, and with a hungry, gaping nab, it bit into the Cy-bug, creating a crunching sound that ended up shattering the Cy-bug into a million shattered pixels. The Devijho however, was left empty handed when the Cy-bug disintegrated.

This shocked me more than anything. The irony of it all! Did a Cy-bug really get eaten? Or at least almost became dinner to this massive Program? My heart was racing so fast that I felt like an alien was about to burst from my chest. Deviljho stared toward his foot, rather confusedly at first to the crumbled pixels that once made up the Cy-bug. It was only a few moments into this stare that the gigantic creature's eyes shifted, and looked at me.

If Deviljho could be compared to one of the seven deadly sins, it would be gluttony. From my little knowledge of the thing, I knew it ate and ate, and even when it had a meal right in front of it it would go off and kill something else to eat. I wondered if like the Cy-bugs, this guy was a virus as well. It seemed out of control, mindless and chaotic in nature, much like the Cy-bugs. What was the distinguishing line between Program and virus? Maybe there were different ranks. You had sentient, essentially human programs, animal-like programs, such as this one, and Cy-bugs, a class of virus. But either way, they were scary, and this one was out to kill me.

The jaws of the creature opened then, causing me to scream. My mind shot forth, imagining what death would feel like. Maybe I would only feel a sharp pain for a brief second before I died. Or better yet, maybe I wouldn't feel any pain at all. Hey, there had to be some sort of bright side to this. Perhaps when I reached the pearly gates I would be able to meet some folks from history, or maybe even meet Flynn, the guy that created the original Shiva Laser, if he was dead or even in heaven that was. I would probably bitch at him and give him the boot, maybe even throw in how things could have been way more awesome than it turned out to be. But then I'd imagine he would have responded with, "hey, it's your fault you and your bro dived into stuff that wasn't none yo business, so you can't fuss at me. Besides, it's called changing the world."

Oh, I've changed the world all right.

As the hot stinky breath of the monster came over me, I was prepared for it to all be over with. I only hoped that Steven would find a way to put an end to this mess, but at the same time, I wished I could see it happen. While many people would ask for death in my situation, I had that desire to hang onto it. But, life isn't fair like that.

"Turbo Tastic!" The sudden sound of Turbo's voice was almost fake. It didn't even quite sound like I was so used to hearing. For once, he sounded... well, like himself.

Coming from the side Turbo pelted against the creature, causing it to trip sideways and it's attention to finally break from me. Seeing the two come face-to-face, Deviljho was still larger than Turbo, but in this case it was a more fair fight then in comparison with me against the thing.

I scurried to the side, hiding in between an alleyway of the buildings as I watched Turbo crawl around the Deviljho's larger body like a squirrel scurrying around a tree trunk. Because of this erupting chaotic exchange, Deviljho violently began to stomp around and slam into buildings, completely wrecking what little progress the workers had accomplished in re-building the city for Turbo. When Deviljho's slamming around didn't work, he started shooting dragon breath in the air, this powerful gust of energy melting what was left of the buildings and trees. Even the fountain, that once was tranquil and left untouched, started to bubble with heat, then explode. However, this comical exchange of fight pattern didn't last long, when Turbo dived his claws into certain points of the monster, weakening it quickly.

"Have some candy!" Turbo yelled with a laugh, followed by a set of clawed attacks. Because of Deviljho's small arms, and set attack sequences, it wasn't able to strike Turbo back adequately enough. The only impact I saw Turbo take was when he was shaken violently along with Deviljho itself, but I suppose that wasn't quite enough to stop him. I saw little by little Turbo powerfully strike the creature, until quickly, and just as suddenly as it had appeared, took its life.

The battle might as well have lasted a long time, but to me, it went by quickly. Once the beast fell to the ground with a loud and earth shattering thunk, and like a domino effect, it begin to desegregate into pixels.

Turbo, upon claiming victory, stood up straight then. For a moment I saw that he might have enjoyed winning the fight, but the hint of him thinking that way diminished momentarily once he glanced over and saw me. Returning to something poised and regal, Turbo walked over to me, extending his palm outward for me to climb upon.

"Glad I caught you," He stated, grinning despite his intense desire not to show it. "What did I tell you, Th'sweettart?"

"Ho—How did you?" I stuttered, looking back at the pile of scattered glass-like material that once made up one of the baddest monsters in its game, and then towards Turbo again.

"Speechleth'ss?" He said, apparently taking pride in the awe I was giving him. "Winning is what I do, and what I strive for. Since I can't race, I cherish the moments I do have victory."

Yes, as a matter of fact I _was_ speechless. Not just for what he just did, but how he was acting. There was nothing demented about him. The Cy-brid I left behind earlier had somehow gone into the background, and Turbo was coming out. How was this possible? Why was it happening?

"Turbo?" My question came out softly and sincerely. Was this somehow really the same person?

Turbo apparently caught my curiosity. His proud stance slumbered a bit, and upon his eyes meeting my own, and his ears hearing my question, did a feeling suddenly overcome him. Briefly his eyes flickered green, this occurrence apparently out of his control as he placed a hand on his head. His eyes shut tightly, as if he was trying to fight it off, and then through his teeth he yelled, "Leave me!"

His actions, confusing suddenly, and completely contrasting his personality just seconds ago, left me at a loss.

"Go! Take her back to the castle..." he said.

"But Turbo!" I called out to him. "What's going on—"

I was cut off as his hand swept the area in front of him, almost hitting me in the process.

"I said leave!" This was his last statement before he turned around.

A Cy-bug had heard him and came over to me, plucking me from the ground, and lifted me into the skies toward the castle. As I was lifted higher, the sheer mass of pixilated fragments on the ground from the shattered Deviljho began to glisten like a sea of glass, all the while Turbo continuously kept his face buried in his violet palms.

If only it were easy. If only he'd stay like he was for that brief moment, and turn back into what was perhaps his real self.

Deep down, I felt an odd desire to know Turbo. The _real_ Turbo. 


	11. Virus (Part 1).(hc)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter has been split into two separate parts, unlike my original posting of this fic on FF. I felt it to be necessary due to the specific importance of the chapter's events, especially in the later half/part 2 of the chapter itself.

_Another night, another dream..._

"Hey, did I tell you my robotics club entered a contest?" Dannen said quickly to avoid watching the commercials that flashed on the television. "We're finally going to compete with it, and throw basket balls into a hoop. It's going to be at the big convention downtown. Although I'm not sure if I should go or not...I can't really afford my own ticket."

"Please." I rolled my eyes. "You're going to spend all that time working on something and then not even go? What's wrong with you?"

"Like I said, I can't afford the ticket!" Dannen huffed a little. "I'm not rich like you."

"Don't make me laugh," I smiled half-heartedly. "I make minimum wage, and I only get in like twenty hours a week, tops. And that's if I'm not taking any classes for college. You should be there to see the robot completed."

"I didn't program the thing, so it's not a big deal if I'm not there."

"Listen to me, yo." I looked him dead in the eye, then said, "Regardless if you programmed that damn robot or not, you helped pull the team together, so by extension you put that robot together. Your contribution is as valid as anyone else's. Besides, I'm going to the convention, too. It'll be cool to see you there."

"Are you cosplaying that fire princess again?"

"You mean, Azula? Yeah I'm cosplaying her."

"You pulled her off really well last time. But I'd suggest you start acting mean. You're too nice."

"Hey, it's harder than it looks, especially when you're having fun!" I raised my voice a little but was smiling all the while. "Conventions are fun as hell, you have to be pretty serious to not act like your having fun."

The sound of the commercials began to fade out, and quickly the theme song to the show we were watching started to play. Immediately, I saw my brothers eyes dart from me and to the screen, where he would avoid eye-contact from that point forward. He was always one to get caught up in things, especially television.

But as I stared at him, I couldn't help but notice just how happy he looked. Perhaps it was what I said that made a smile every so slightly drift across his mouth, or that by bringing up the simple fact that he contributed to such an amazing feat was all that was required to boost his self esteem. Sitting there looking at him, it made me want him to go to the convention. I wanted my little brother to travel through his wildest dreams, and reach so much higher levels than I could ever think possible for myself. Sometimes I didn't even see him as my brother, but a child: something to protect. I was proud of him, so proud that I imagined him becoming the great speaker my mother had often told me she saw him become in her dreams.

I remember fondly as a kid, when his speaking abilities were at a minimum. Speaking was hard for him, and as I recall, instead of saying my name as it should, he would call me, 'kay-lay' instead, and struggle to pronounce it right when I corrected him. Even his hand-eye coordination was off. When he would watch me play video games, I could see how initially confused he was at me being able to move my fingers so quickly on the controller, and coordinate _Megaman_ on the screen. These memories completely contrasted what he was now: building robots that threw stuff—who knew? Being a leader of a team, and now going for a physics major? Forget it.

I saw the light from the outside grow dim, as if dark clouds were moving into the area. At first I didn't care much to pay attention, though despite my attempts to ignore it the outside grew darker, and suddenly a shade of violets and reds filtered through the windows and into the room. I heard thunder crack, but accompanying this blast of energy was that of falling rubble. I didn't know what to think of it. It sounded so unreal in contrast to my current situation that I thought it may have been the television show spitting out random sounds.

 _CRASH!_ In an instant, the side of my house was torn in two, taken up by powerful winds. Red dust swept across the floors and over the pale tile in the kitchen, begging to bury the tan color with a crimson hue. The sky had taken on an unworldly purple color, and in the distance I could see objects flying in the air as if a tornado had swept them up, though by staring at the skies for a moment I realized there was no tornado whatsoever.

Accompanying the wind, however, was the sound of laughter.

"I told you I'd find you!" It was _his_ voice.

I saw Turbo crawl over the torn and open walls from the outside like a giant, and look down at me, as if I was a doll in his playhouse. A tunnel vision soon encased my surroundings, blacking out everything but the Cy-brid that now stood towering over me. Briefly Turbo glitched into his true persona, his yellow, glowing eyes, and matching snickering teeth directed at me like the headlights of a truck stampedeing down the highway, I but only a confused deer not knowing where to go in my panic.

After his glitching ceased he would default back to King Candy; his darkened eyes and sharp smirk remained glued to his face, regardless of the change.

"Did you forget about me so soon?" was Turbo's next question. "What did I tell you? You don't need any of this anymore. I am all you need! I am what's under the spotlight to your stage! Quit running away!"

"Leave me alone!" I placed both hands on my head, though found my palms drift slowly down to cover my ears. Even this wasn't enough to shield myself from the sounds of chaos around me. I didn't know what else to do but cower at that moment. I felt my shoulders start to hunch, and my knees wobble underneath my weight.

"Kailey, kill him!" I heard Dannen's voice part through the darkened tunnel around my vision. "You have to kill him, there is no other way!"

After I registered his statement, I suddenly felt something in my right hand. Sitting in my grasp was a sword.

Immediately, and after l gained enough confidence, I lifted my head andthe blade in unison and looked up directly at Turbo, who continued to stare. But for some reason, even with my power, I couldn't do it. Although Turbo's expression remained all the same, evil and twisted like the animal he'd become, I simply couldn't swing the blade.

When I looked up at him, I suddenly saw past the Cy-bug. I could picture that little guy, being consumed by the Cy-bug that took him. This wasn't justice, it couldn't be.

"Kailey, do it!" I suddenly heard Calhoun's voice yell at me. "End him!"

"There is no other way!" Steven's voice was next.

"He ruined my life! He destroyed _Sugar Rush_ , my home, and the arcade! He'll do the same to your world, too!" Vanellope's little voice was like the cherry on the cake, but despite this I, again, couldn't move my arms.

What was wrong with me?

"Cy-bugs are a virus," I said aloud. "All they do is kill, eat, multiply... They are monsters... creatures without a soul." I paused and looked down at the sword in my hands. It was scary, holding something like that. The metal glistened ever so lightly, and reflected the purple hue that filled the skies. Every so often I saw some red droplets of sand land on and stain the blade, making it look worn and weathered.

My gaze lifted back up to the frightening creature before me, and despite Turbo's intimidating exterior, his brown eyes still contained a familiarity of someone I knew. Why was it when I looked at him then, despite all he's shown himself to be, I saw myself?

I felt then a heave of air consume me as a loud bang went off in the distance. The tunnel surrounding my vision took over my sight, and with a swaying motion I suddenly found myself in my quarters in the castle.

Awake _, t_ hat's when I realized it had all been a dream.

It was still dark, and although I could faintly see my hands along both sides of my body along the covers, the rest of the room took on a black and white shade due to the lack of light. Very faint, outlines showed me objects in the room, which frightened me as I stared. The contrast from my once pleasant dream of life as it was before, then becoming a nightmare, and then suddenly awakening me to blackness should have been normal at this point, but of course, it was something I could never get used to.

 _BOOM_! Another canon went off, similar to the one I had heard in my dream before I woke up. It left a very mild wave of light to come flashing into the room, but regardless, that light disappeared instantly with the sound itself. Those canons had been waking me up like this for almost four weeks, and ever since my first day in the castle, it had slowly become more consistent.

There wasn't an hour that would go by now, day or night, where I wouldn't hear the canons. Often, when the Cy-bugs regained their numbers, I could hear swarms depart the castle and off to the ever lingering battle just on the outside of the city. It was amazing as it was that the humans and their military were able to keep fighting this long. One would assume that they would have been defeated weeks ago, but humanity's persistence proved to be its most powerful trait.

And yet, here I was, unable to do anything about it...

My days had been rather quiet for my situation. Ever since Turbo's recent out lash, I noticed how drawn back he was around me. It wasn't an attempt to be rude and ignore me out of spite, but rather whenever I came into the room where he was, he would withdraw himself, become more stoic and reserved, and soft spoken. It was almost like he carried a little bit of shame, but that wasn't quite all of it. There was something else different ever changing about Turbo that I couldn't quite put my finger on, at least when he was around me. When I did see or hear him talking to someone else he was frustrated with, it was almost as if he was losing control.

But of course he wouldn't show that around me much when I was noticed. He acted his best around me, which I didn't understand the reason.

As I sat there in the dark, I thought about the others again. A while back after the wreck during the race, Rachel had hinted that there was a possibility they were okay...though I always pushed that thought from my mind as to not get my hopes up. Even if they did make it, how were they supposed to recreate the Shiva Laser to make it effective against the Cy-bugs? I didn't know a thing about reverse engineering, or programming, so the mere idea was something completely out of my knowledge. And even then so, how would they make it through all that fighting out there? It was easy to imagine Ralph or Calhoun fighting Cy-bugs, but I was scared to think of little Vanellope or Steven going up against those monsters. So far the only thing that had proved somewhat worthy of going up against the Cy-bugs was that Deviljho, but not only was it dead now, but I highly doubt it would think to join our side.

After a few moments of staring at the ceiling, I thought it would be in my best interest to try and get back to sleep. Closing my eyes, I attempted to shove what thoughts I had lingering in my head out of the way, though despite my tiresome state I continued to anticipate another canon going off. These sudden booms weren't like fireworks on Fourth of July, even from the distance. The walls seemed to shake whenever they went off, and their flashing lights like distant lightning, flickering before the sound wave hit my ears.

However, instead of another battle tank shooting at Cy-bugs from afar, I heard my door creak open.

"Whose there?" My eyes shot open as I looked toward the doorway quickly, rising up from my laying position, and leveling my body with my hands. I tried to look through the darkened room, but it was hard. I could still only make out shades and outlines. The door had been ever so slightly opened, but nobody was standing there.

"Hello?" I managed to call out again, but this time with more meekness. Again, there was no response.

Despite my hyper-awareness of a door randomly cracking open, I sat up further and placed my feet on the floor. I stared only briefly before I had the guts to stand up all the way, and slowly walk over to the door. As I grew closer I could see it's outline more finely. The white door seemed to faintly glow in the darkness, giving me a sense of where I was once I hit a certain point in the room. My hands reached out before me to help guide my path, my right hand in particular aiming for the door knob itself to grab and push the door shut again. Just as my fingertips were about to touch the door knob, however, another hand reached from around the opening of the doorway, and grabbed my wrist.

"What the flying shit!?" I cried out of terror, suddenly the door swinging fully open. Standing there in the hall behind the person who grabbed me was a small group of others from what I could tell. I wasn't sure what was happening, but the next thing I knew I was swung around, and the persons free hand that had initially grabbed my wrist placed his hand over my mouth. With wide eyes I attempted to struggle away, but even this was no use to fight against whoever had a hold of me.

"Go, go..." I heard a voice from another person whisper, and the group coordinately moved in unison down the hall and up the castle to higher levels. Because it was so dark, and not knowing the complete whereabouts of the castle even, I was growing scared. I had no idea where these people were taking me, let alone what they were doing in the first place. Although I attempted to wiggle from this persons grip, I slowly put up less of a fight, as to not hurt myself. Every time I moved his hand would drive my arm up backwards further.

It was only after a very large doorway was opened did I finally see where I was. Through the clouds, the moon was able to shine enough light to where I could see I was up high, very high on the castles highest balcony. There was only a short stone railing that parted the balcony itself to a fall below, looking down toward the crumbled city as far as the eye could see. Those streets far below, cluttered with shattered glass, and roaming Cy-bugs, could be faintly seen far down like shadows.

As we were growing ever closer to the edge, a new fear hit me—I opened my mouth as wide as I could, causing the persons hands on my mouth to slip under my teeth, and I was able to let out a horrifying scream.

"No! Stop!" I cried afterward, my voice bouncing of the castle stone as if I was in a cave. The wind started picking up once the edge came into view, and then immediately upon meeting it I was pushed down onto the flat railing, everything from my waist upward hovering over the dark and terrifying drop below.

"I'd push you right now if I didn't realize you were so afraid. This is for ruining my house! This is for causing my granddaughter all her misery! This is for what you did to us all, you fool!"

"Wait? Aaron?" I gasped. "What did—how—why are you doing this?!" My words were stumbling from my bafflement and disbelief. My train of thought and attempt to get out that question was rudely shaken away as he dived his hand on the back of my head and shook me lightly, forcing my attention to come face-to-face with impending death. I was freaking out at that point. I felt my eyes grow wide as I gazed into that darkness, the chilly air acting as its touch as black wind swept my hair wildly around, trapping my warm breath around me, and causing me to panic.

"You said you would stop this!" Aaron yelled again. This time I could hear other people snickering behind him. Apparently he had gathered followers who were against me, too.

"I'm sorry!" I yelled, suddenly my eyes growing watery from the stress. "I tried! There was nothing I could do! I didn't know this would happen!"

"Bullshit!" His voice grew more intense. "I'm tired of lies! You must somehow be in on with this demon! Why else would he give you a nice bed to sleep in, food to eat, and nice clothes while the rest of us rot in our own filth, constantly working for him!?"

"It's not what it seems!" I tried explaining, but he just didn't seem to get it. He was so blinded by his anger, so consumed by what had happened to the world, that he didn't see that I was suffering right along with him. The circumstances were different for the both of us, but we were all the same. People always needed to point fingers at something.

"Throw her off the edge!" I heard another man's voice yell behind Aaron. The small crowd snickered and then started chanting in unison, "Throw her, throw her, throw her, throw her..." over and over again. I felt their rage pelt me like stones; their anger filled my despair, and suddenly I found myself crying. Tears weld inside my eyes instantly, and I felt their tiny streams fall from and down my cheek briefly before they disappeared from my face, and downward to the fall below me.

"Please, stop!" I wailed, but I still heard them chant, "throw her, throw her, throw her..."

It would be so easy for Aaron to toss me. Despite being an elderly man, he was far more capable physically than I could have foreseen. All it would take was one shove, just a few more inches, and I would go tumbling down to the depths below.

Even in my own suffering, despite being a a prisoner, I still wanted my life.

Through the chants I heard rumbling and clawing— _fast_. The others didn't seem to pay much mind to this new sound, but I found it was growing louder by the second. Pounding wings started to accompany the wind that was whirling around me, and suddenly with a loud crash, something came through the door of the balcony behind us. Then, and only then, did Aaron turn around with me, finally lifting me from the edge.

Standing there at the doorway was Turbo. His eyes were wild, and flickered briefly with green pixilation when he saw what was happening. His still position remained briefly before his right claw violently swiped the balcony around him, clearing Aaron's followers from their feet, and to the side. I heard some scream as the powerful hit knocked them off the balconies edge instead, while others hollered in pain, clenching their legs or their sides. With another swift movement, Turbo pelted from the entrance and right in front of us, plucking me instantly from Aaron's grasp, and slapped Aaron down to the ground. With the hand that struck him, Turbo then aimed his sharp fingertip at Aaron's neck.

"You pathetic wa'thste!" Turbo yelled directly at Aaron. "How dare you go behind my back and take what is mine! I will rip you limb from limb for this, and after your body parts'th are scattered across this stone I will let my Cy-bugs eat your carcass!"

I stared wide-eyed at the situation. At this point I was so consumed with emotion that I couldn't let out a single syllable. I shook and struggled to keep myself sitting up right in Turbo's palm, even though I was no longer bearing my own weight.

"Stop!" I heard Rachel's voice cry out, along with the sound of her running footsteps coming up to the balcony doorway. "Please don't hurt my granddad, he doesn't know any better!"

She must have been alerted of the situation like Turbo was, and had come to investigate. I could only imagine what was going through her head.

"You expect me to believe this is a accident?!" Turbo was furious. "He is a traitor and a thief to my reign! And you know there will be none of those in my kingdom!" Turbo tensed his arm, driving it forward every so lightly as to impale Aaron's neck. He stopped once the very fine tip of his claw scratched the surface of his skin, halting momentarily when Aaron let out a frightened mumble accompanied by Rachel's cry.

"You promised you would keep him safe if I worked for you!" Rachel's fists clutched together. Even in the dark I could tell she was growing angry, but despite this she held it back, keeping poised as much as she could. "I did what you told me to do! A deal is a deal! Let him go!"

"Ridiculous'th!" Turbo yelled. "A deal was a deal _before_ your elder decided to go off and do this! He's tried approaching Kailey wrongly before, and he's done it again! I can't trust to have him around anymore. I have to cut his head."

"Don't do it..." I suddenly stuttered, placing my small hand down on Turbo's in which encased me. "He doesn't have to die."

"You want him to live?" Turbo was baffled, but he suddenly turned his attention from Aaron and his granddaughter, and to me. "Why would you want him to be kept alive, knowing he would do something like this? To you even!"

"He's just scared," I continued, breathing deep breaths in between as I tried to regain myself. "He needs a second chance, he's just scared."

The balcony grew quiet. All that remained was the strong breeze, spreading whistles across the the cracks in the stone. I could see through Turbo's glare that he was contemplating. His mouth fell to a grimace and his grey eyebrows lowered as he seemed to withdraw within himself. The shadows, with that pinch of pale moonlight, only exaggerated his already darkened features.

Rachel stood idly by, bringing her fists together and then clasping her palms against one another. Aaron, on the other hand, continued to stare irritably and slightly confusedly up at Turbo and I, huffing from the small scratch he had received from Turbo nearly driving his claw through his neck.

"Take him." Turbo's final decision came out quickly, as if he was attempting to change his mind over, and needed to get out the command fast enough before that happened. "Rachel, take your old man away. Place him in another section of the cath'stle as far away from this one as possible. If this happens again, I wont hesitate to kill him."

"Yes, of course," Rachel responded seriously, yet I could hear the relief in her voice. "Thank you, Your Majesty."

"As for the rest of you..." Turbo continued his commands openly to the others without acknowledging Rachel, and then said, "Try as best as you can to not limp around my castle, lest the Cy-bugs see you as weak prey."

Rachel, as fast as she could, came up before us and helped her grandfather to his feet. The two struggled only a moment before they left without another word back through the doorway. The continuing muffled cries of Aaron's surviving followers, whose attempts to keep quiet in their pain at an utter failure, was all that accompanied the sound of the high winds. It was in this isolation, as I continued to sit in Turbo's palm, that I wondered why he even listened to me in the first place. In all respects, this was _his_ castle and everyone in it were his subjects, yet he decided to listen to me.

"I can't trust any of these pathetic humans anymore." Turbo sighed, attempting to filter his irritation as his next statement came out. "I can't even tru'thst them with _you_. I suppose I need to establish a tighter guard on your behalf, but until then I don't want you to be by yourself."

As he spoke he started to move. His insect legs tapped the ground randomly and and all at once, and once he took me back into the castle itself, these many footsteps of his lingered and constantly returned to us in echoes. I couldn't see much of anything in the halls, but Turbo on the other hand apparently knew it like the back of his palm. I assumed being able to navigate in the dark anyway was a Cy-bug trait, which he still had as a Cy-brid.

"There is another set of smaller quarters next to my chambers." Turbo spoke up again upon walking the halls for a while. "You will be much safer with me."

"Oh..." I responded out of discomfort, though hid this as best I could. I enjoyed the time I had in my own room without him breathing down my back, yet now that was going to be taken away from me. The only relief I had was gone.

"I was going to wait and tell you until morning, but I have prepared you another racing car," Turbo told me next. "This time, however, I have given the thought to allow you to do time trails for me. After what happened last time, with those fools wrecking almost all my cars, I thought letting you drive alone would be more adequate."

"I... errr..."I stuttered, becoming reluctant about the idea of getting back in a vehicle, let alone racing one. I wasn't typically one to be nervous inside of cars, but since the crash I had been worried about racing again for Turbo. I wanted to tell him I was scared. I wanted to stand up for myself, but at the same time, within my memories of the crash, I recalled his sudden transformation. Turbo was so lost in his control that he didn't even realize it. That Cy-bug in him, that virus, was slowly devouring him from inside out. One wrong word and he could very well turn again.

For a brief few moments he moved throughout the halls without much of a conversation. Turbo began walking slower, this in return making it seem like it was taking a overly long time to get to where we needed to be. His eyes shifted from where he was walking and he glanced down at me, attempting again to return stoic like he often did when around me.

"What is it you think about all the time?" Turbo asked, taking notice of my blank expression. "It seems like you're always trapped inth'side that head of yours."

"What? Me? Nah." I pulled instantly from within myself once he spoke, attempting to hide my constant and silent observations like a kid kicking dirt under a rug. "It's nothing."

"I beg to differ, Th'sweettart," Turbo responded. "You can't think and think of nothing at the same time. I see your eyes and how they move without the sight of the world that comes with them. Your withdrawn, hiding within yourself."

"So what?"

"I know because I'm the same way. There is so much to think about, so much to foresee, so many things to decide all at once. When I attacked _Sugar Rush_ for the first time I had to try and foresee every plan, every action, and every possibility. Your planning something."

"Am not!" I finally looked directly up at him. "I just... well..."

"Spit it out!"

"I'm scared okay!" I finally broke. I was horrible at lying. I couldn't even lie straight up to my own mother without stumbling. "I'm scared! There, are you happy now? That's what you want, isn't it? To make me into this shell of a person that I once was? To squeeze all the joy out of me that I can't have a normal functioning life anymore? I'm surprised you even saved me back there, let alone the time before that! By all means you should have just let me fall! You hate me and now the world hates me, and it's all because of you!"

I didn't realize how loud my voice was until I stopped yelling, hearing myself in my own echoes. Turbo had come to a complete stop at that point as his brows raised and his flat expression melted.

"Ha, hate you?" He smirked momentarily, then said, "The only thing I hate, dear, is that glitch and her halitosis-riddled-warthog of a friend. I hate when people take away what is rightfully mine."

"And you also hate being alone, don't you?" I was still stern, though I wasn't yelling anymore. "That's why you keep me here. Even with all of these people working for you nobody really even likes you."

"Don't say that." His tone grew even more serious again. "Don't ever say that!"

"If you would please just listen to me!" I urged this time, bringing my hands together towards my chest. "There has to be another way. It doesn't have to be this way, you can be loved and not have to go to the extent you have done! _TurboTime_ may be gone, but you can still have a home!"

"No, it can't!" I could see his inner turmoil now as he slowly started to crumble before me. "I will take back what is mine at all costs! If someone gets in my way, I will push them off a cliff if I have to! I will have to destroy every single one of these people, because if I mess up nothing will be accomplished. Nobody will care about me!"

"I care!" This slipped uncontrollably, and I found I stalled after saying this. I could tell this caught Turbo by surprise as well, his face mirroring my own: stunned. "Just... take me to my room. Please." I lowered my head.

Despite my request and attempt to turn away from him he still remained silent, and I could feel him staring at me with that same expression. He grumbled momentarily, then shook slightly.

"Yes... I agree," he said, but I could tell his words were coming out very reluctantly. "You need your rest if your going to race for me tomorrow."

His legs picked up again, and we started walking. At that point it didn't take much longer for us to reach his quarters, and mine, which was directly beside his and happened to be relativity close to the throne room itself. After he came to a stop before my new door he set me down, and stood there, looking to either side of the hallway as if he was further concerned about a similar incident like the one that had just happened a few minutes ago would occur again.

"I will have someone bring your racing suit to you in the morning. Be ready," he stated sternly, turning around again to retreat to his own area.

It wasn't until after he left, and I proceeded to make myself comfortable in my new room, did I finally realize how tired I was. I had been awakened so abruptly that fear had been the driving force that had been keeping me awake. But now, I felt a little at ease again. At least I knew nobody could get to me that wasn't supposed to...


	12. Virus (Part 2).(hc)

"No!"

I was awoken abruptly yet again, but this time to the sound of Turbo's hollering. I couldn't understand what he was saying, but despite being a ways from the throne room still, and separated between the walls, his voice shot through the castle loudly.

I sat up from my new bed, allowing my morning sleepiness to escape me as I stared wide-eyed at the door. Although I knew that someone sneaking into my room again was highly unlikely, my mind seemed to settled on the doorway like a hawk watching a mouse. I became hyper aware of my surroundings, and although I couldn't quite make out what the commotion was about, I continued to hear Turbo making some sort of commands.

After a few moments of this I heard the sound of footsteps coming toward my door. I sat up higher and let my legs off the bed, becoming prepared to make a dash if the time required it. However, instead of furthering my rude awakening, the door opened softly. It was Rachel.

"Get dressed, quickly," Rachel said, tossing in my racing suit that had been cleaned and prepped for me. Rachel, although attempting to look serious, had a sort of aura about her that alerted me.

"What's going on?" I asked. "What's all the yelling about?"

Rachel remained quiet for a moment, but responded again with her same command, "Just get dressed!"

She shut the door harshly, but even upon disappearing from my sight I could hear her waiting. Looking down at the familiar violet and white racing suit, I noticed in the boots was the Light Cycle. I could have sworn that she didn't know where I kept the thing, so I was very much surprised to see it. I recalled her saying how it was always a good idea to keep it in my shoes though, but her reasons behind it very much still alluded me. I decided it was best not to anger her further, so I slipped on the suit, prepped myself as best as I could and met her again once I stepped foot out of the room.

Without hesitation she grabbed my arm and started escorting me back to the throne room, all the while the sound of Turbo's anxious yelling growing louder as I came closer.

"No, no, no, no!" he chanted. I could already feel my heart start to race.

"King Turbo," Rachel greeted as the doors opened, revealing the throne room in all its brightness. However, one thing was completely off. The cadge that had been holding my brother had been opened.

He was gone.

My reaction to my missing brother was paused when Turbo leaped from his large throne chair and scurried over to me, plucking me up from the ground beside Rachel.

"What happened here?!" Turbo yelled. "Do you have any idea who could have done this?! Your grandfather had to have been up to this! He was after Kailey, so in all respects he would have tried to go for her brother next!"

"My granddad didn't do it!" Rachel fought. "He was on the other side of the castle all night long, just like you ordered him. Besides, nobody can open that cadge! Not without proper tools, which you have devoid us of!"

"Shut up!" Turbo responded irritably, his sharp teeth showing through his lips briefly. "Go... find out who did this. Find out where Kailey's brother is, or so help me, I will not hesitate to destroy the lot of you for treason!"

Rachel nodded and bowed her head as respectively as she could, though not before shooting me a look before she turned around to leave to fulfill Turbo's orders. It was that kind of look a father would give their son before their first baseball game—a sort of, 'don't disappoint me' stare. Although that was completely out of context. I didn't know what was going on or what to think of her silent message.

"No, NO! I won't let this be ruined!" Turbo's brows narrowed into a furrow as his teeth showed again, attempting to hold back a hiss that was part of his Cy-brid programming. "Finally when I catch a break, something wrong has to happen! I don't understand it! The human military is still pushed way back from the city! They couldn't have possibly made it in!"

Turbo looked around, causing me to do the same. The odds of this being of military actions seemed to be far-fetched. The military would have probably used extensive force at this time when entering the castle. But this? This was different. There was literally no trace of a break in. Everything was as it should be: untouched. The only exception was the cadge itself and my missing brother.

"I can't let this get to me..." Turbo continued to talk aloud. I could tell he was losing it. "I can't let everyone think I'm... I'm afraid. You're going to race for me, Kailey. I don't care what just happened here. I've been waiting to long, have been working to hard to let some little idiot take it away from me!"

With a powerful lift, and without prior warning, Turbo launched us into the air. The large glass door above us, that would have normally opened for him, remained shut. Even with the glass still separating the throne room to the outside, Turbo rammed through it, only taking precaution as to shield me as we went through. After the sound of shattering glass breaking and hitting the floor vanished, did the sound of wind and distant thunder replace it. The clouds that had been thick for a long time were finally becoming its darkest, suddenly all traces of sunlight being shielded out from thick overcast.

Turbo was quick and furious with his flight pattern that for a brief moment I thought I was being carried by an actual Cy-bug. His landing, again, was very much so as we made it to the track. With a thunk he came to a stop, and instead of gently placing me down like he had done prior, he seemed to toss me. I managed to stay on me feet despite hitting the ground quickly.

"Go, start up the car," Turbo said. "I will be timing you. Make it around the highway loop track and meet me back here."

I stared at him for a moment. This was worrying me to such an extent for once I didn't want to leave him. I felt like he was the only one that could actually protect me at this time, but then again, if you get to comfortable playing with a lion in a cadge, especially when they start acting like this, it's best to leave them be. I couldn't disobey him today. Even with my nervous feeling of getting in that car, I had to break past it.

"Go!" he said impatiently.

With this statement I rushed over to the car and got in, making sure my helmet was properly set on my head. My matching boots were straight, and my zipper was tightened, the Light Cycle sitting in them reinforced tightly between the leather and my leg...

Even while trying to be prepared and confident, my arms were shaking. Again, another crack of lightning erupted the skies, casing my heart to thunk as I started the car.

"Don't hesitate, just go!" Turbo hollered impatiently at me again, not even giving a moments notice of the countdown that was usually required for a race. My foot stepped on the gas, taking me from the starting point with a quick rev, and launched me back onto the road. Through my rear-view mirror I saw him grow smaller as the car sped ahead, along with his castle that continued to look dark and hollow despite it's significant progress through the past four weeks.

As difficult as it was to look away from the scene, I steered my gaze back to the road before me, hearing through the roar of my accelerating engine that thunder continue to rumble, and lightning crack in the skies.

At certain moments, and replacing lighting bolts, I saw light bubbles from the thunder in the clouds, flashing colorful rays onto the road ahead of me, and bringing the darkened city moments of luminosity. It was after a minute or two of speeding down the empty loop, that rain started to pour on me. The raindrops were hard as I went this fast, pelting my windshield with thousands of tiny punches and clanks. I began to feel my steering wheel grow light the faster I went, but unlike my first try racing, I now felt extreme worry of messing up. Now that the rain covered the streets with a light layer of liquid, one wrong turn in this could only bring disaster. I had to be careful, I had to keep my eyes on the road.

Ironically, I was caught by surprise then. Accompanying the thunder was an explosion. My eyes darted back toward my rear-view mirror, and in the distance I saw the side of the castle erupt into flames. The smoke puffed into the skies with a heave of power, this black smog adding to the already darkened halo that hovered over the city. With wide eyes I stared, despite knowing my attention was away from the road.

Like a domino effect, another portion of the castle exploded, this time startling up the Cy-bugs. The swarm that was constantly droning the castle and the city all began to rise at once, like a beehive that had been struck or an ant hill that had been kicked. This confusion didn't last for long, however, as the organized viruses started to circle their home, constantly flying around the castle and diving in certain increments when they saw something worth plucking. But from this far, I still couldn't tell what had caused this.

My eyes darted back to the road when I quickly saw at the corner of the track a large figure leap upward onto it, and begin waving his hands in the air. Growing closer, I was brought back with this strange familiarity. I started to slow down because of this, and soon, through the thick rain, I saw who it was.

It was Ralph.

I gasped, pushing hard on my breaks and coming to a stop directly beside him. His expression had a mix of relief and distress alike as he saw me through the window.

"Kailey, hurry, we gotta go!" he said. "Get out, hurry! There's no time!"

Opening my car door I stepped out to face him, though I was immediately plucked up once I did so. Like a football player rushing towards the goal, Ralph tucked me gently to his side, running quickly down the road and jumping clear off the track, and down to the smaller streets below.

The further we ran, the more chaos I began to take in. The battles that had been constantly raging just outside my line of sight had all been around here. Tanks were torn in two, vehicles were smashed and gun powder and other black dust blanketed the streets and grass. Even when we got to the point where the city itself was turning to forest, and more rural areas, I saw the trunks of these trees had turned from brown to black, and sometimes grey and white from burns. I didn't realize the urgency from all this until Calhoun, Vanellope, Felix and Steven stepped out of the treeline once Ralph and I came into view. Following them was my brother.

"Dannen, Calhoun... You guys are alive!" I gasped as Ralph and I came to a stop before the group. Looking over their expressions, I saw how bad they looked.

With wide eyes and a scowl, Calhoun expressed her caution first, and said, "Okay, Steven set that thing up, we don't have much time."

"It's almost ready, it's at ninety-eight percent capacity right now," Steven responded. "I can't launch the sequence until it's finished all the way."

"No, it has to be now! Are you crazy? Turbo would have probably realized Kailey is missing at this point!"

"Tell me what's happening!" I broke through Calhoun's orders anxiously. I was left in silence until Felix firstly decided to speak.

"Steven has successfully recreated the Shiva Laser in a handheld device. When Turbo comes looking for you, we're going to shot him with the laser, and trap him inside the flash drive attached to it."

"Then, we destroy it," Calhoun spat out, her blue eyes as icy as could be. "So nobody has to die at that fowl mans hands again. I wouldn't even call him a man anymore at this point."

"Wait, what!?" I gasped. "You can't destroy it! If that's the only flash drive you got how are we going to use it against other Cy-bugs?"

"All in due time..." Dannen said. "Kailey, it has to happen this way. There is no other choice. This is gone on long enough. If we take out Turbo then the other Cy-bugs will no longer have a leader. Their defenders will no longer be organized."

"It can't end this way!" I cried again, loudly this time. "You can't do it like this!"

"What in the blazes is screwing with your head?" Calhoun turned to look at me, continuing to carry her intense scowl, but by hearing my words this only making it look worse. "Are you telling us you feel sorry for that monster? That you have feelings for him?"

Our stare latched on for a moment longer. I felt my lips want to part with an answer. The thing about answering something like that in a quick instant, was hard. I had a long time to think about it, to dream about it, to grow and understand why I didn't want this to happen, but when the time came to explain why, I was left silent. Looking at the others, the only person who felt even a little bit like me, was Dannen. He was the one who first expressed his disdain for this: to kill a creation in need. But in the end, I could tell he believed this needed to happen.

"Steven!" Calhoun swept her concern for my out lash and to Steven, who was messing with the little Shiva Gun in his grasp.

"Almost there, it's almost there!"Steven exclaimed as he monitored the loading bar on the side of the new device.

"NO! YOU FILTH!" Turbo's voice screamed and filled the air, even through the pelting rain his loud voice booming like thunder. Rising over the treetops the pounding of his wings shot it's own hurricane, causing the rain to go swirling into a mist around his back. The group stared with held back terror as Turbo, without talk or show, landed harshly on the ground, and swept his clawed hand at us with all the ferocity he could manage. Ralph was able to push him aside briefly, but I saw he alone wouldn't be able to do this.

Calhoun retrieved the large gun at her back, preparing it with ease to use it if she had to. Up until this point I wasn't sure if her _Hero's Duty_ gun would work on a Cy-brid, but I saw that she was ready to kill, or be killed if required.

Turbo was fast, though.

Like a predator Turbo shot from his spot a few yards from me, and encased me in his hands. I heard from the fast-paced thunks of his wings he was ready to take off with me, but he hesitated then, lifting me upward as he rose to look down at the others.

"Heh, not today," he said with a smirk, attempting to break through his anger briefly to show amusement in this like he normally would have. Despite this, his emotion at that point was rather uncontrolled. "Sorry, but you wont be getting the princess at this cas'thle! If you want her, you're going to have to try harder than that! Because of your inadequacy to properly go about your pathetic plan, I'm going to kill you all!"

"Just shoot it!" I yelled at Steven, who within all this chaos continued to look up at Turbo, and then to the Shiva Gun. He was apparently reluctant to use it at this point. I was trapped in Turbo's claws, so if that were to go off, I would be sent into the flash drive with Turbo.

I knew I couldn't be something that held them back anymore. I had to let them do what they came here to do, despite whatever I thought.

"Shoot us!" I repeated.

Steven, on the dot, and with a quick decision, lifted the Shiva Gun, and pulled the trigger.

Instantly, like the original Shiva Laser in the arcade, light encased us. I felt the real world vanish from around me; it's rainy, dark chaos suddenly was replaced by a blank slate of the flash-drive. Along with this, I felt Turbo's grip on me release, allowing me to fall into this new world separately from him.

It seemed like less than a second before I was able to adjust to this new reality. The chilled wind became numbing and calm, and within a blink of an eye, the bright light that had transported me dissipated, setting me down onto the flash drive platform.

Here, in this small digital grid, there was absolutely nothing. The ground and the skies were black, making it seem like I was walking in open space. The only thing that I could make sense of was when the ground breathed white, and sent glowing veins through the horizon every now and again. Even the skies here, much mimicking the storm in the real world, erupted with light that flashed in it's dark skies. The very essence of the flash drive platform came alive with potential power from being attached to the Shiva Gun that had become it's plug.

In the far distance I could see a portal leading back again to the real world. Because of the slates far deepness, and blankness, this seemed like a dream. Looking at the portal from this far was like staring at a single tower among a flat ocean. It was my only hope to escape, but it was so far away.

"You're not going anywhere!" I heard Turbo grumble behind me. I could tell he was trying to keep his control over seeing the light of the portal. "You're either going to leave with me, or stay here with me!"

"I'm sorry!" I yelled, unable to settled on what I was exactly feeling. I turned around to fully face him. "I'm sorry this happened to you! I'm sorry you lost your game and _you_ feel lost, but you can't do this anymore! Please, listen to me! We can work through this, it doesn't have to end this way!"

"No! Gahh!" he hollered again, but this time in a struggle. His hands encased his head as he violently started to glitch between personas. His entire body started to tremble as his teeth clenched together in some sort of effort to stop what was happening to him. The mixture of the portals light, his anger, and the virus that had taken over him was to much to bear, and once his eyes shot open again, green pixelation finally overcame what was left. I saw that now he had completely lost himself in the Cy-bug coding, and with his new sickly emerald pixeled eyes, he charged at me, this time for the kill.

Seeing this caused me to scream, and with all the strength I had in my legs I tried running away again. However, no matter how hard I thought I was running, it wasn't enough. Every millisecond that passed he got closer, and I could hear his fist pounding the ground as he did so, causing the world around me to shake from his power.

"Where do you think, you're going?!" His voice was maniacal now. "I'm not through with you yet!"

I felt the buzz of his wings at my back then, stirring up my long hair behind me. My helmet, that continued to sit on my head, even began to toss around slightly, moving left and right which caused _swooshing_ sounds to engulf my ears.

It was then, a final hit that Turbo sent onto the ground, that I heard something break. The ground around us, literally, shattered like glass.

We both went falling into a void, hovering, drifting and falling in this blackness as if we were lost in space. From the fall I watched as the broken ground I had just been standing on moments earlier distance itself away from me as if I were falling into a pit, looking up at it as if it were a jagged hole from the bottom of a well. Although I was still able to breathe, any form of sound was vanquished as I was distanced from Turbo, and I could then hear my own breath and heart beating softly into my ears.

I started to panic as I kicked my legs about and stretched my arms around me to attempt to grab something, but even with this effort I was left without anything to hold onto. Because of this sense of unbalance, my panic turned into utter chaos. My breathing escalated and my entire body felt as if it wanted to jump out of its own skin.

"HELP!" I pleaded, my voice in this strange world seemingly dissipating the moment it left my throat. Here there was no echo, or feedback. It was devoid: a type of nothingness like space itself.

Until I saw a light...

At first this brightness was like headlights. Very slowly I gazed over to this source of energy, blinking rapidly as my eyes got used to this change. When my eyes did focus though, this blinding light started to take form. Like a star, and then breaking into a familiar structure, I saw a floating DNA helix-like structure, and a ways beside it a large lighted pink square containing the words 'King Candy' on it.

"Wh—what is this?" My breathing was starting to relax a bit as I stared in awe at the two structures. Even in my weightless state I regained some ability to stop my random floating. Instead of wailing my arms around and kicking without thought, I grew still, treating the weightlessness around me like I was submerged in water.

I first set my eyes on the DNA-like cluster, having curiosity take over the fear. With my relaxed state, I pushed my legs outward, as if I were swimming and started drifting slowly but surely to where it was. The light that escaped it, neither grew more light or dark as I approached it. It was as if the light was rather infinite, and would not grow lighter or darker the closer or further back I got.

Once I had made it over towards the DNA-like cluster, I reached my hand into the transparent light. However, this transparency proved to be real. My hands fell into and through it, leaving me grabbing nothing but air.

Again, I gazed up at it in awe. There was so much detail in this structure that it was as if it was the written work of something that was real.

I felt my heart flutter once I realized what it was. My mind steered back to tales my brother told me about the process of programming, and little lessons I learned from small and insignificant ways of doing so, by creating things like HTML for web sites, and then to what Steven had showed me when we had shutdown Dell. The Omni-Tool had revealed to us what Dell, the Cy-bug, was at a small and invisible level. The Cy-bug had an RNA structure, which wasn't quite as complex as the one I was looking at now, but it was all the same in it's impact on me. Like a foundation, it was the veil under the reality. It was the written blueprint. This, right here, was my untouchable, unchangeable human blueprint. It was everything I was.

_It was my code._

This caused my attention to dart over toward the large square next to it. Kicking my legs coordinately again I started drifting over to King Candy's box next. I guided my hand into it, but unlike my DNA example beside it, my touch triggered something in this one. The King Candy box disappeared, then revealing his code. It's structure was exactly like mine.

The only difference was I could touch and tamper with his. I tapped the open space around the helix, this suddenly zooming into the detail of the coding. Here I saw everything that made Turbo... well, in this case as written, King Candy, everything he was. I saw the coding for what he looked like, what he wore, his crown, how he talked, laughed and cried. I even saw what made him a racer. It was all here. The difference between King Candy and Turbo's coding was the simple fact they were intertwined; sewn together, thus making them almost one and the same. The different coding of either one could be told apart in shades of blue, but overall it looked difficult to extract.

Upon my close observation of this, was when I took notice of something else. The one reoccurring thing scattered throughout King Candy's code was a handful of red dots. These red dots pulsed with energy, suddenly sending waves through the rest of the coding, and making it glitch and shake. It frightened me for a moment. Even though it was coding, it looked painful. It was almost like looking at heart-worms on a dogs heart, or cancer cells taking over human tissue. I found that my fingers hovered over the code reluctantly as I suddenly began to ponder over it, feeling brief flows of shivers come over me like a quick blast of winter air had come from my own body. This was what the virus was doing to him.

Those red dots, were the Cy-bug's coding taking over.

Sound was muffled in this void, but I suddenly felt a presence behind me. As the hairs stood up on my neck I turned my head around, quickly then, taking notice of Turbo heading straight towards me. The mixture of the light of his code and me already being a target drove him insane as his wings silently moved behind him, with every waking moment this enough to make him approach me closer and closer by the second.

Although my heart began to race again out of fear, I didn't run away just then. Instead, I looked from him and to the coding in front of me. I didn't know what I was doing, but my instinct suddenly helped me make a decision to dive my hands into the code, and start ripping the Cy-bug virus code out.

I wasn't paying attention to what was happening behind me now. I didn't know if he was still charging at me or if he had stopped dead in his tracks. My focus was purely on the coding as my fingers grabbed, tore, and tossed the red out and away from it. As the red dots were shredded from the code, I saw they started to lump together into their own form. With every step I took to clean the virus away and separate it from Turbo, was when it started to become it's own individual creature again. It was like it was developing right in front of me. The viruse's code started to obtain a structure similar to Dell's as I saw through the Omni-Tool.

Then, I stopped. The coding of the virus, was now completely separated from Turbo's. It was finished.

I finally had the courage to turn around then. As my eyes left the coding and into the void, I felt my mouth part open and my lungs become full of air as I gasped, bringing my hands to my face as if that in itself was enough to save my breath. Instead of the single Cy-brid that was once set on destroying me, I saw two separate beings.

The lights in the colorful candy-themed Cy-bugs eyes were still shut down from the transfer as it floated stiffly in the large coding space. Floating beside it was Turbo, in this case, King Candy. The glitching had seemed to stop at this point, resulting in his default King Candy persona to take over once more. He was also unconscious, so he didn't know what had just occurred.

After staring with jaw-dropping awe for what it seemed like a long time, my eyes finally broke their link onto Turbo, and the Cy-bug, and up toward the broken sky above me. I could make my escape now and get out before the portal closed. I realized that Steven may have to make the decision whether or not to destroy the flash drive, like he had intended, but I soon grew thankful that he hadn't already done so. Surely they would be happy to see me exit the flash drive, but what about Turbo?

I couldn't just... leave him here. I _wouldn't_ leave him here.

My mind was made up, and I acted then. Quickly I glided over towards Turbo who still hovered unconscious. As I tried to lift his now small form into my arms, and position him in a way I could safety and effectively get him and I out of the coding space, I saw the Cy-bug's eyes stare to glow again.

My heart sank, and fell into my stomach.

My alertness grew ten times full as I used the slowly awakening Cy-bug as a foot spring, and kicked off of it into the air. As the weightless air around me carried me upward after my jump, I positioned myself in a way to push Turbo off of me and onto the platform of grid itself. I was rather surprised that this worked, though.

After Turbo safely toppled on top of the grid, I followed him, though not before taking notice of the Cy-bug below me opening it's bright green eyes fully. Once I was in its line of sight, it wiggled around and started up its wings, set on destroying me once and for all.

I let out yelp as I heaved myself from the void and onto the platform myself, taking note of my surroundings and what to do next. The portal was very far away still, so making a run for it all the while carrying Turbo wasn't going to end well. Instead, I reached inside my boot, and took out the Light Cycle.

I knew I had to get a head start so quickly, and without hesitation, I started to run and place it before me as I held the Light Cycle tightly in my palms. Once I thought I was making fast enough pace, I leaped, triggering the Light Cycle to form underneath me. The vehicle took me by surprise briefly as it drove ahead, though with all the focus I had I turned the thing around and stopped beside Turbo, taking him by his vest and plopping him in front of me. I looked down momentarily into the void to see the Cy-bug blazing upwards now, and very much fully awake.

I looked away with a shiver, set my legs onto the Light Cycle, and zoomed forward. It was just as I started making ground, did the sound of the Cy-bug return and fill the blank grid with a loud screech. It had come out of the coding space below, and was after us.

I didn't look back, but I could hear it catching up. Although I was moving fast on the Light Cycle, it seemed this Cy-bug had a vendetta now against me. I heard it screaming and screeching as its wings pounded behind it, sending it flying from behind as it gained up on me, narrowing the chase down to once single mess up on my behalf.

I accelerated faster, and blindly then, suddenly the realization that if I messed up now, and allowed the Cy-bug to eat me, and then Turbo, it would happen all over again, and all that I had went through would have been for nothing. The only difference would be that I would be dead.

"No!" I hollered as I felt my eyebrows narrow on my forehead, and a determined scowl overcome my mouth. I sped forth with all my might and all my focus then, creating a tunnel vision to the portal ahead of me. It got closer and brighter, and then suddenly, the grid vanished.

Through a powerful light and transition of worldly proportions, the grid vanquished around me as my Light Cycle took me into the real world. Rain quickly resumed around me as I slammed on my breaks, taking note of the silence that only seemed to be slain by thunder that quaked and spread into the world. Once I came to a complete stop, I heaved myself up with what strength I had left, and grabbed Turbo into my arms, falling with his weight onto my knees. With my absence the Light Cycle began to tumble over, but retreated before it hit the ground into its simple stick-like form.

"Bloody hell!?" I heard Steven cry out, but all my focus was still on Turbo who remained asleep on the soaking ground before me. I didn't even pay attention to everyone's running footsteps as they surrounded me, only their shadows causing my gaze to look upward from Turbo, and to them. Their expressions seemed to mimic my own: surprised and shocked.

"Oh my land!" Felix said through wide eyes. "Kailey... how—how did this happen?" Everyone else remained speechless as they waited for my answer, each of there awe-consumed expressions matching like a little girl's doll set.

"I don't... really know." I slowly then looked back down at the little man who was now half my size.

What just occurred still baffled even me.


	13. Foe to Friend.(exe)

It was like waking up from a deep, deep sleep in which I was trapped in an ever repeating nightmare. The transition of what once was to my reality now was so unreal that it felt as if I not only physically slip in between worlds, but that my mind had gone from there and back again, and transformed in the process.

A stepping stone had been crossed, a mountain had been scaled, and now here I was, feeling rain pat on my face for the first time in forever, with chilled wind encasing my body as a sense of freedom. That monster, that beast that had me imprisoned had been defeated, and now here, lying before me was the man he truly was.

For a long time I stared at Turbo. My perception of the world around me continued to encase me in a tunnel vision as I focused on the little man, who's royally and elegantly dressed violet attire and gold crown seemed to completely clash with the dark and chaotic creature he once was moments before. I was so used to looking up at him, being afraid of his touch and how delicate I must have been in comparison to his strength that now, seeing Turbo in his King Candy persona, we were pretty much on the same playing field.

How else do I describe a feeling like that? Relief was a feeling a lot of us take for granted. I was not only relieved that I was out of that castle and no longer a prisoner to Turbo, but I also was able to remove that virus that had consumed him.

I heard mumbling around me and felt the continued awe struck stares join me in seeing Turbo right before us. I was so stunned, even after minutes of this silence, that I slowly began to come back to reality from my shock, like rising above the waves of the ocean.

However, this feeling of freedom, that I tasted momentarily, would have to wait.

"Steven!" I gasped, as if taking in a breath of air for the first time. "Remove the flash drive from the Shiva Gun!"

"What?" Steven was a little taken back. "Why?"

"Just do it!" I hollered again, though this time instead of asking another question, he removed the flash drive from the Shiva Gun quickly, and smoothly. I couldn't help but let loose a sigh of relief. At least we wouldn't have to worry about the Cy-bug inside right now.

"Listen up, ladies, we need to stop fiddling around and get some ground separated between us and the city." Calhoun stepped in sternly, shaking us all awake from our trance. "The only reason those Cy-bugs were in some sort of organized order was because Turbo was acting as an Alpha. Now that he's no longer assuming control, those creatures are bound to resume to their chaotic state."

"Are you sure?" Felix asked, pulling his stare from me and Turbo, and up towards his wife.

"Of course I'm flippin' sure, what are you thick?" Calhoun was being short even with Felix at this point. "Cy-bugs that once were being ruled over are going to return to the way they were always programmed to be. Monsters that kill, eat and multiply. We might have taken out their leader but that just means we've stirred up the nest!"

Immediately after Calhoun's blast of concern did the sound of hums from the distance, and explosions, become more harsh against the tranquility of the falling rain.

"Whatever Kailey saw in there will have to wait. We need to move _now_." The armored woman turned from us, started down the street, and through a cluster of trees. This caused us all to follow after her. Vanellope, Felix, and Ralph seemed to stay glued to her procession, leaving Steven, Dannen, Turbo and I to come stumbling behind.

After grabbing the Light Cycle that lay on the ground, and sticking it inside my boot again, I tried lifting Turbo into my arms, but despite his short stature he proved to be heavier than I thought.

Dannen, despite looking to be more tired than I was, walked over towards me and extended his arms around my shoulder and under my grip, providing his hands to encase my arms that held the unconscious racer.

With his help, and Steven's constant surveillance, we followed Calhoun and the others to a large military sized truck.

"All right you pussy willows, get in the vehicle and make it quick!" Calhoun waved her arm harshly as we came towards the truck. While Ralph took the bed of the truck again, Vanellope and Felix squeezed into the front seating beside Calhoun at the wheel, while Steven, Dannen and I put Turbo with us into the back seat. We pushed the racer towards my side of the truck, and over my lap.

The engine started up with a roar, and Calhoun quickly took us from our parked area and down the road again.

As we drove, the treeline we had been under separated from our line of sight and allowed us to have glimpses of the city over its canvas. A wad of black smoke rose into the grey skies, originating from the slowly but surely crumbling castle. Embers and flames sat among the top of the once only glorious structure of the city, causing the mass of Cy-bugs to swirl around it aggressively, and mindlessly. The fire seemed to be keeping the Cy-bugs occupied for the time being, but with the rainfall that fire was sure to go out as soon as the city was soaked enough and there was nothing left to burn.

Although what we saw would have frightened most people, we all were very quiet. It was only the hum of the engine, the tires rolling fast against the concrete roads, and the rain continuously pelting the windshield did we barely escape this voiceless, quiet stillness.

"Where are we going to go?" I meekly asked. It seemed this silence was harder to break than I had anticipated.

"Since we started exploring the information the Omni-Tool downloaded from that Cy-bug that ate your brothers computer, we were able to dive in and extract more information from those files." Felix was the first to speak as to not leave me talking to a bunch of walls. "There was an address in the blueprints written by that man named Flynn. You know, the one from the video."

"And what would you know, that address points to another arcade," Calhoun filled in next. "We have reason to believe this other arcade houses another Shiva Laser. The original one Flynn created."

"Wait, so you're telling me there is another Shiva Laser in existence?" I asked then, as my head perked up. "But...those videos and files were created more than twenty, maybe thirty years ago!"

"We have no other leads." Calhoun was stern with her next statement and she almost sounded annoyed. "This is all we have to shoot for. Either we head west towards a place called California and use the original Shiva Laser as a way to stop the Cy-bugs or we go all the way there for nothing. What choice do we have at this point? We can't just sit here, that's for certain."

California? That drive, as far as I remembered took at most three days with stops for a family vacation one time. With Cy-bugs on the loose and inevitably going to be after us soon, that amount of time would be lengthened considerably. But Calhoun was right. We didn't have much of a choice, and by all means this was as lucky as we were going to get.

"How will we use the original Shiva Laser to stop the Cy-bugs?" My curiosity was getting the best of me.

"I wanted to reverse engineer the Shiva Gun, but due to its small size and limited power I was unable to do that," Steven responded to me. "With the capabilities of the original Shiva Laser, however, power shouldn't be _as_ much of a problem due to the complexity of the larger scale machine. I should be able to turn the portal inside out, if you will, and bring the exit portal to the outside, and vice versa. I can essentially create a beacon that will trap Cy-bugs back in virtual space."

"Wait wait wait!" I lifted my hands briefly to showcase the shock I had just experienced. "You can create a beacon?"

"It will probably destroy the Shiva Laser in the process, or even the entry into digital space itself, so nobody will be able to exit the digital grid from that point again. Not to mention I have absolutely no idea how long the portal, in this case the beacon, will stay open. But it's worth a shot. Even if I can see how to work it and recreate it, I can send this information to the military so they can start creating their own beacons all over the globe."

I was confused again. To be quite honest I was always confused. My brother made fun of me often because of my daftness, but then again I wasn't some scientific genius who knew how to make giant portals and beacons, so normally I'd tell everyone off who made fun of me, but this was an exception. If Steven could do this though... to be able to create it to where the exit portal was actually an entrance portal onto another digital platform, Cy-bugs could be trapped inside. It was a giant bug net, and we were so close to making that possible. All it would take now is traveling a thousand something miles in hopes of another Shiva Laser actually existed.

Those odds were about 50/50. Flynn, this so-called programming genius from the 80s, whose skills and ideas came far too early, and were before his time, should have been able to create his Shiva Laser then. And if he did, why didn't he come out to tell the world when he was on the brink of discovering this? Instead, twenty-five something plus years went by and a group of extreme geeks decided to pull and expand on his blueprints, and make one of their own, resulting in a catastrophe of gigantic proportions. And I happened to be the guinea pig of the testing phase.

"Wouldn't that make this Flynn guy the First User then? I mean, he technically created it way before you Stinkfarts did." Vanellope spoke up among one of her own sarcastic chuckles.

"That's only if he actually entered the digital grid," Steven answered. "But nobody knows what happened to him, and according to a lot of his history files we found he's considered dead, so for now Kailey has the title."

"Great," I responded sarcastically. "The First User is such a terrific name, you might as well rename me that." I was getting pretty tired of it, honestly. Turbo would call me that in public when he was trying to put me on the spot and that caused literally every single person in the city to do the same, only they were completely rude about it.

"Nah, if we were gonna rename you, it would be Princess Dramatic." Vanellope laughed again to herself.

"I thought you wanted to call me Princess Hesitate?" My response was quick, though I ended up smiling anyway.

"Well, normally I would agree with ya, but after you un-hesitated to actually do _that_ to King Candy, I think you're off the hook when it comes to hesitation."

When Vanellope brought that up and turned around to lightly glare at the unconscious racer, everyone in the entire truck focused their silent alertness back to what had happened. There was this heavy returning silence again before Dannen managed to get out the first question.

"So, tell us..." He was extremely calm. "How did you return Turbo back into... well, normal?"

" _Normal_?" Vanellope let a long exaggerated hiss come out her nostrils. "King Candy has never been normal. When he wasn't acting like a complete goofball he encouraged all the _Sugar Rush_ racers to bully me. It was all apart his entire cover to take my rightful place as ruler of the game. I think the next question you should tell us is why you did what you did, Princess Dramatic."

I let my eyes fall to Turbo who continued to remain unconscious in my lap. I thought long and hard about what I was going to say. Calhoun had put me on the spot before this incident happened, and just like then I was still struggling to find an answer.

Looking upwards again to my brother next to me, who proved to be the only serenity I had to lean on, I began to speak.

"Turbo finally lost control while we were in the flash drive. When he went on a rampage he started hitting the ground and that somehow shattered the grid platform and sent us into this... I don't know, coding space. I say this because, I saw his coding and was able to tear the Cy-bug apart from his. That's why I wanted Steven to remove the flash drive from the Shiva Laser so the Cy-bug wouldn't come out."

"You mean a Cy-bug is trapped in here?!" Steven gasped. His hand dived into his pocket and took out the flash drive, and he started closely examining the tiny object like a kid intensely eyeing a goldfish in a tank. "Bloody hell! And what was that—you separated the code from Turbo's? I don't believe this, this is amazin'! That explains why Programs are able to survive after their games are destroyed!"

"What do you mean?" Ralph poked his face in through the back again, becoming more interested in the conversation as we all talked.

"You can take the character out of the game, but you can't take the game out of the character." Steven's eyes widened again as he started shaking from excitement. It was like he just had a revelation or something.

"Say what?" Ralph's eyebrows twisted in confusion. "Talk English, not weird smarty pants English-English."

"Programs are self-sustaining beings. Their code isn't bound to their world. Their code goes where they go, it follows them. The code is them: it's who they are. Just like DNA is my human code, or Dannen's or Kailey's. It is self-sustaining, it is the structure of our life. Don't you understand how brilliant this is?!"

Steven's teeth gritted together as he continued to stare at the flash drive, and then back towards the Shiva Gun in his hands. "Somehow being on a digital platform reveals to us code. It expresses the blueprint of whatever is copied onto it and from that it can be messed with and changed. Kailey, did you see anything else other than Turbo's code?"

"Well..." My eyes shifted to him, crawling slowly from my collapsing brain from absorbing all this information Steven was explaining. "I saw mine."

"You're what?"

"My code! My DNA!" I couldn't help but heighten my voice, it felt strange knowing I somehow discovered something like this. "Only mine was transparent. It couldn't be tampered with."

"That makes a lot sense, yes." Steven bit his lip as he thought. "Programs can be changed, because we created them. They match the digital platform because that's where they are from. Humans can't because we are on a higher level of existence... higher level... it's like..." Steven drifted off and began to mumble to himself. Slowly his excitement relaxed, as the muscles in his face smoothed out. Briefly he fell into a mental void, staring off into space before he returned to us. "I would imagine this is how God could see us." His once utterly exaggerated tone was calming now. "It just... goes to show you how much we have yet to discover. Since hanging out with you Programs I always knew you were alive, in a sense, but only now do I realize how much a like we are... how we all have—"

"A soul." This escaped my lips softly and without warning as I finished his sentence. "That's why I couldn't do it. That's why I saved Turbo."

Again silence returned. It seemed that impacted all of us, but in different ways. Even when Calhoun and Vanellope were facing away from me, I could tell they were questioning me quite a bit. Calhoun, for one, because it was her programming to be intense, but also Vanellope because of what Turbo did to her personally. They were reluctant to respond to me, I could tell, and by all means I understood why they may have been angry.

"I wasn't there to see what happened to you because of Turbo," I stated. "I don't know the pain it caused you, Vanellope. But I don't see him as just another... well, Program. I see him as something that he did was my fault because evil is a fault of humanity. I couldn't kill him because... when I looked into his eyes, I saw myself. If I would have left him in the flash drive and gone about your idea of destroying it, what would have that made me? I would have been no better than a Cy-bug myself. Maybe now that I've removed the virus from his code, he can have a second chance. It's my job as a human, part of the race that programmed Turbo, to make things right." I paused momentarily to look back at Dannen. "After all, this entire journey was given to us so we can change the world."

"It's how it was meant to be," Dannen admitted then. "Right now things may be grim in our decision to have triggered this, but Flynn was right. This is going to change the world. If Programs like Felix can heal, and Portal Guns phase through reality, we've created a leap in humanity that exceeds that of centuries. That's why I know we can finish this. That's why I'm sure we'll come out in the end. This struggle won't be for nothing."

As we drove the rain started to lighten up a bit, though sprinkles would momentarily hit the windshield regardless, and flashes would fill the clouds with lightning. Through this rather tranquil lullaby of thunder in the high grey clouds, however, that relief we were absorbed in was soon accompanied by a waking moan, and immediately after, I could feel Turbo begin to move on my lap.

The entire truck, yet again, grew utterly quiet, but this time grew stiff with anticipation as well. I was the only one brave enough to look down directly at Turbo, whose awakening was slow and exaggerated.

"Hoo-hoo!" He cooed softly as his arms stretched and his eyes fluttered open, but as soon as his half-awakened eyes met my own stare down at him he laughed again. "Hoo! Did I die and go to heaven because I'm th'seeing an angel."

Vanellope's little hand immediately raised to her face as she quickly facepalmed herself.

"Did he just hit on my sister?" Dannen mumbled with intensity, as his expression showed pure confusion. I'm pretty sure everyone was making the same face as he was.

"Turbo?" I asked downward to him, attempting to ignore the reactions of the gang around me. "Are you okay? Tell me, how many fingers am I holding up?" I raised my right hand then and showed him three fingers, hoping that he hadn't received any weird drawbacks from what I had done to him.

"I feel great...errr," He completely ignored the finger question. "But why does everything th'seem _bigger_? Wait..." His eyes slipped from me and started looking around him. I could tell he was finally waking up fully. It wasn't until his pupils dilated inwardly with such exaggeration that his calm domineer, right after, shattered upon the realization me and him were not alone.

"WHAT IS THAT GLITCH AND THAT HALITOSIS-RIDDLED WARTHOG DOING HERE?!" His yelling drew me away as I pressed my back harshly against the seat of the truck, attempting, if at all, to put some distance between myself and his hollering.

"Turbo it's okay!" Even when I wanted to reassure him I found my hands had risen against the seat as well.

Turbo sat up immediately then and took in more of his surroundings, not only noticing Ralph and Vanellope then but literally everyone else. I could tell he was starting to panic then, but this panic was accompanied by sheer defiance and irritability.

"Stop the truck! Get me off of this... ARGHHAAAA!" His eyes fell onto his body at that point, and I suppose the realization that he was no longer a Cy-brid came as the most shocking to him. His breath heaved as he attempted to regain himself, but this was rather unavoidable at this point. "Stop the truck!" He slammed his hand on the back of Calhoun's seat aggressively, "Do it _now_!" he said.

From his punch Calhoun immediately slammed on the breaks, causing everyone to flail forward momentarily before we started to slow down enough. The truck was still coasting a couple MPH when Turbo opened the door, and leapt out with such dramatic emphasis that I thought he must have been faking it at first. However, once he hit the soaking ground he sat up and turned around to look at us.

Calhoun backed the truck up slowly as Turbo retained an intensely compacted furrow upon his forehead. Every crevice and every wrinkle in his skin was showing now, even though his smooth bubbly King Candy persona.

"Stay back you buffoons!" he called out, raising his hands forward and pushing at the air toward the direction of the group.

"We don't wanna come anywhere close to you, ya cheat!" Vanellope responded as she crawled over Calhoun's lap and hung out the truck. "Why don't you go running back off and get eaten by a Cy-bug so we don't have to hear your yappin' anymore!"

"Vanellope, please!" Felix, although likewise very much nervous around Turbo like everybody else, didn't want a conflict to emerge.

"Stand off, Fix-It!" Vanellope was loud and blunt. "If King Candy wants to run off, let em! I don't want to have anything to do with him just as much as he doesn't want to have anything to do with me!"

"I already feel your glitch germs all over me!" Turbo swiped his hands over his violet tail coat, and let his tongue hang out the side of his teeth like a kid would do if you were to serve them brussel sprouts. "I'm going to need to take a th'showa to get them off me!"

"Well why don't you just stand right here in the rain and watch us drive off, Turbo!" Ralph finally started to intervene. I could tell the more insults Turbo threw at Vanellope the angrier he got.

"You're hilariouth's, Wreck-It Ralph." Turbo laughed lightly and sarcastically before his expression returned irritable, then said, "But I advise you check yourth'self before you _wreck_ yourth'self!"

"Stop, enough of this!" Calhoun finally yelled over the fighting. This seemed to even dissipate the rain for an instant. "Listen up, King Candy, Turbo, or whatever the heck you call yourself now! We all know good and well you don't want that Cy-bug, or any other one eating your sorry carcass again. I don't personally understand still why Kailey decided to fix you but she did. So you're either going to come with us quietly or stay back!"

Turbo paused. His glare, once settled on Calhoun, melted from his face like butter on a pan as his attention shifted over towards me. His mouth hung lightly through his stare. "She what?" he asked with a cracked voice.

"Yeah, you heard me!" Calhoun fussed despite that Turbo had seemed to back down. "She saved your sorry bum so what are you going to do about it? Go running off like some sort of cry baby because he can't get over how pathetic he is and has to hide it from people he tried to take advantage of? Please, save me those sob stories until cats start shooting rainbows from their buttcheeks!"

"Tamora!" Felix gasped. "I'm appalled at your language, keep in the ratings!"

"We're not in a game anymore, Short Stack, so zip it!" She seemed to hiss a little bit that time. "So what's it gonna be, Candy Freak, are you coming or not?"

Even though Turbo heard everything she had just said he continued to look in my direction with an awe-struck stare. With just a simple look-back into his brown eyes I could tell he was thinking. I could only imagine what kinds of things were going through his head, though. He had been a Cy-brid for a long, long time and had finally broken from an impending demise being trapped inside that virus until his death. But now, things had changed. In the blink of an eye he was himself again, or at least King Candy again.

Despite the obvious tug he had received from being told the news, he tried with all his might to shrug it off once he realized Calhoun had stopped talking. He was trying to balance the odds, and from his quick mindset he was drawn back from his thoughts of what I had done and to the opinions of the others.

"Ah, I don't need your help, Sergeant!" Turbo sneered as he waved his hand at her as if swiping a fly from in front of him. "And I certainly don't need that little brat and her smelly friend around me either!" Turbo turned around swiftly, his left ankle likewise making a sudden 180 degree rotation that shocked me, though this seemed to be part of his programming to be able to do so.

"Wait—Turbo!" I couldn't help but want to stop him. Of course I didn't want him to leave. If he got eaten by a Cy-bug again this entire ordeal would start all over, not to mention I highly doubt he'd make it alone, considering he had no kart to drive or anything to defend himself with. Being honest with myself, I was afraid for him, too.

Upon hearing his named being called he stopped in his tracks, still turned from the truck. His hands that were clutched together in tight fists let loose then, but after a couple seconds went by they balled up again and he continued walking.

"Good riddance!" Vanellope sneered. "We don't need him anyway. We can handle ourselves."

"No wait, Vanellope, let's think this through first," Steven said. "We have no idea what will happen to him. Besides, he's still responsible for letting the Cy-bugs out so we can't just let him run free."

"Ya know, I don't care what happens to him!" Vanellope crawled back to her seat and threw her arms in the air. "He never cared what happened to _me_!"

"Maybe he'll come around," Dannen stated. "We should wait here for a while and see if he comes back."

"You're kidding." Ralph rolled his eyes. "Even if we did stay to pep talk Turbo we'd be wasting time."

"Not quite." Dannen shrugged. "I want to check out this flash drive and the code my sister saw. We've put some distance from the city so we should take this time to get into the grid platform and see what we can learn from this technology. Maybe there is a way to use this coding mechanism to our advantage against the Cy-bugs in the meantime."

"As much as I want to keep moving you're right," Calhoun said. "I'll go in with whoever decides to head in first. With that Cy-bug in there you're going need some help."

"I'll go in," Steven volunteered quite instantly. "I'm excited to see how this all works!"

"You're the lead programmer, Steven," I spoke up while keeping my eyes out the open truck door to watch Turbo walk further and further away until he started to disappear into some brush. "Let me go in instead. I know how the coding works in there and what to prepare for. If we lost you we'd never get the Shiva Laser to work when we reached it."

"Kailey, please..." Dannen was concerned for me, I could tell by the way he pleaded and how frightened his body language was. "I don't want to lose you again. You just got out of hell minutes ago, you need to rest."

"I don't care." I felt my eyebrows come together to form a determined expression as my fingers lightly clawed the seat. "I can't rest, not yet. I didn't come this far, work this hard and make so many sacrifices to just sit here. I've sat in a classroom or an office my entire life and I'm tired of it. I have something bigger than myself to be a part of now and I'm not going to be a spectator."

Without another word I jumped out of the truck and walked outward into the open. "Come on Steven, get ready to shoot me."

"Good God, Kailey are you serious?" Steven was baffled. "Are you sure you want to go back in there?"

"She said she wanted to go so let her do it!" Calhoun would exit the vehicle and follow me out into the open. Once we were side-by-side, she reached behind her and removed the large gun at her back, and prepped it for the venture into the flash drive. "Remember, though, there's no turning back, Kailey. One rule every soldier needs to know is there is never turning back."

"I know." This slipped from my lips like water falling in between two stones. I felt my heart begin to race and my chest grew warm, this soon accompanied by an overwhelming force from within me as it sent my body into stiffness that for a second I thought I couldn't move enough to take in a deep breath. Saying that I wasn't scared would have been a lie. I had to hide my fear and conceal my feelings, not just for the sake for the others who worried about me, but for myself. I had to be the dove on the branch, no matter what was to come.

"Here, take this." Calhoun reached to her side and took out a _Hero's Duty_ pistol, and handed it to me. Although rather reluctant at first I took it anyway. I would be handed a _Hero's Duty_ grenade immediately afterwards.

"It's not safe to go without a weapon." Calhoun managed to let out a soft grin upon noticing my ever growing alertness, despite how I was doing my best to hide my feelings. "Just pull the trigger, User, it isn't that hard to shoot a Cy-bug."

"All right, I'm starting up the Shiva Gun." Steven had stepped out, and came around the truck to meet us on the other side. "But once I plug in the flash drive you need to act fast. The portal exit inside will immediately generate and attract the Cy-bug. Before you even think about going in to mess with the code you need to take care of it first. I won't unplug the flash drive from the gun, but I'll need to shut off the portal after a couple seconds. We can't risk the Cy-bug escaping."

"Duh," Calhoun spat out. "Of course I know that. Top priority is to kill all Cy-bugs first and foremost."

"And this one is going to pay for what it did," I added, as my violet gloved hands balled up into fists. "This is personal."

Accompanied by my wave of nervousness I was soon filled with adrenaline. As I thought about what I was going to do, instead of pure distraught becoming my only emotion, I felt a sense of desire to to put an end to the Cy-bug that was responsible for not only what happened to the destruction of the arcade and the real world, but what it did to Turbo.

"All right, in three...two...one..." Steven's countdown was slow, but as soon as the last number was spoken he pulled the trigger to the Shiva Gun, resulting in the all too familiar blinding light to encase us and pull us into the digital grid.

It was all very much the same. When the light left us Calhoun and I were greeted by the blank and ominous grid platform. The portals blue light in the distance showcased the world we were in with such a bright intensity that it highlighted even the most distant of portions of the platform, reveling to us the sheer mass of the flash drive and it's potential. It was among this reveal of light onto the grid that we saw the Cy-bug. Well, in this case Cy-bug(s).

"There's more!?" I gasped as I watched a group of six Cy-bugs start for the portal, only the original Cy-bug that had eaten Turbo differentiating from its candy-themed body. It couldn't have been more than forty minutes, maybe more than that of driving and yet that was all it took for the Cy-bug to multiply.

Watching them from where we stood, I saw their eyes become overwhelmed with a blue pixelation as a hum escaped from within their bodies. They were in a deep trance from the portal's light, and were flying ever closer to this exit to the real world, when the plug was pulled. Steven, at that moment, must have shut down the portal, resulting in the Cy-bugs to come to and realize they were not alone.

"Prepare yourself, soldier!" Calhoun couldn't help but dive right into her programmed dialogue. "It's make your mama's proud time!"

Hearing her say that made me cringe. Her yelling seemed to have caught the Cy-bugs attention, and in that split second, their turned bodies to where the portal once was, and flipped around to look at us. I could see their bright green eyes fixate on us, and with a sudden and terrifying screech, they started charging.

"Shit! This was a horrible decision!" I yelled, suddenly taking a step backwards as if I had the urge to run the opposite direction.

"There's no turning back now, soldier!" Calhoun began shooting at the oncoming Cy-bugs, causing her voice to drown out a bit, but despite the loudness of the gunfire I could still hear her. "Fear is a four letter word! If you want to go pee-pee in your big girl pants keep it to yourself!"

"Holy flipping fu—!" I was caught off guard when Calhoun managed to destroy one of the Cy-bugs. When the _Hero's Duty_ bullets hit the mouth of one of the monsters it shattered like glass, though unlike most Programs, it excreted a green goo as it was destroyed.

"Five to go!" Calhoun yelled again, but continued shooting. My arms were shaking but watching her be able to kill that Cy-bug brought me to grab the pistol she had given me initially. Once I had it firmly in my grasp I tried lifting it upward to aim at the Cy-bugs, however, when I pulled the trigger I realized that my aim was horrific.

"It's my first time shooting a real _Hero's Duty_ pistol, I don't know what to do!" I felt helpless again, good God.

"It's just like in the game, point where you wanna shoot!" Calhoun spoke like it was easy. I suppose it should have been easy for me, considering I played first person shooters all the time, but being in the face of danger and potential death usually makes it harder.

"Kailey, look out!" Calhoun seemed to anticipate the Cy-bugs flight pattern. The candy-bug and one of the other ones darted to my left, attempting to come around to flank me. Calhoun turned her riffle just in time to shoot the newer Cy-bug, but she had to aim her weapon back to her prior targets to keep them at bay. I realized that I needed to act soon, because the second monster was heading right toward me.

"WHAT THE HELL! GAH!" I yelled and started running away, though instead of the Cy-bug continuing its flight toward where I was it darted with me, attempting to keep at my tail like a cat chasing a mouse.

At this point I could hear Calhoun getting in more hits, so she was far too busy dealing with the three remaining Cy-bugs to help me with the candy-bug. I knew I had to take this opportunity to hit it, so with all the bravery I had instilled within me I flipped around and raised my arm to fire at the colorful Cy-bug. I was turned half way around by the time I realized it was literally right on my ass.

Gasping, I pulled the trigger, causing a series of bullets to hit the Cy-bugs right eye and shatter it. The Cy-bug staggered but it kept coming, and within a split second it was on top of me, screeching and roaring as it kept its single green-lit eye fixated on me.

"Calhoun!" I yelled, but I realized she would be no real help to me with her own distractions. I tried acting quickly and shot at the candy bug again, allowing another good round of bullets to penetrate and explode in the Cy-bugs open jaws. However, unlike the larger gun Calhoun had, the pistol was far less effective at killing the thing.

"No, I'm not gonna let you do this to me anymore!" I fussed against its roars. "This is for all you've done, you glutinous piece of trash! This is for destroying the arcade and my world! This is for what you did to Turbo!"

I shot at the Cy-bugs other eye again, causing it to bust after a few shots. Because the Cy-bug was suddenly blinded it began to lose balance, allowing me to reach into my pocket and pull out the grenade Calhoun had given me. I pulled the link on its side, and gave it a harsh throw into the candy-bug's open mouth, and scooted away as fast as I could. Once I was away from it I sat up and started haling ass, and as my footsteps seemed to countdown the seconds, the grenade went off behind me, sending me flying forward and onto the ground. Among the shattering sound of the Cy-bug being deleted, I heard the familiar collapse of the grid. It wasn't until I looked around did I see the explosion had caused another rift in the flash drive, having made another entrance to the coding space directly below.

"Kailey!" Calhoun called. I heard a cease of fire then, letting me know that Calhoun had managed to kill the other Cy-bugs. "Are you all right?"

"Yeah..." I placed a hand on my chest and tried sitting up, all the while regaining my breath as I wobbled. "I'm fine."

"Good." Calhoun sure wasn't one to console and provide sympathy. "Now show me the coding space. Where do we go?"

"There..." I lifted my hand from myself and pointed at the opening in the floor. "It's in there."

"You expect me to jump down a black pit?" Calhoun raised a brow. "That's a pretty deep fall... There is no way we'd survive it."

"You don't fall," I stated. "You float... It's coding space."

"I've never been in coding space before." Calhoun was a little sarcastic when she repeated me. "But I'll trust you. Come on let's go, quit being a pussy-willow."

Calhoun started to walk ahead, retreating her gun back behind her as she walked over to the large opening in the floor. While I was slowly following I could see her stop and impatiently look down into the pit, though all the while contemplating about the entire thing. Of course I probably would have done the same thing; the idea of jumping into a black hole would have concerned anyone, and even though Calhoun was good at hiding any sort of fear I could tell she wasn't sure about it either.

"Well?" I said aloud. "Aren't you gonna jump?"

"I was waiting for you," Calhoun huffed, causing the longer ends of her hair to flare up for a moment. "Let's hurry up, can't keep Steven and the others waiting."

Calhoun jumped in, triggering me to do the same. As the world of the upper grid transitioned to the coding space, I felt gravity leave me, causing my body only briefly to react and try to flail around. Once I managed to take back control of my balance, I stationed myself still and looked onward. The coding had changed, but it was still there. Instead of King Candy's code next to mine, it was Calhoun's.

"What the blazes..." Calhoun muttered to herself. "So that's what code looks like."

"So you're telling me you never discovered your code?" I asked out of curiosity. I noticed our voices were muffled slightly from the coding space, but due to being right next to each other I could still hear Calhoun speak to me.

"Well why the heck would I? And even if I did Programs shouldn't have a right to tamper with the code."

I laughed to myself a little. Turbo did it after all, so a Program could become a programmer too by all means. The only difference was I figured humans had more range in what they could do to change a Program.

"Come on, let's see what we can do here," I said.

"Screw me up and I'll slap your skull," Calhoun seemed to be joking but she didn't sound like it.

Once we arrived at Calhoun's coding I reached my hand outwards to the light cube and triggered it to open. From there it was all from memory. I dived into the code, enlarging the structure to see it at a smaller level and took a look around. I saw Calhoun's main code: whatever made her who she was, her personality and appearance was all here. However, my eyes settled on the _Hero's Duty_ gun programming within her code.

"See here?" I said, pointing to a close bundle of small blue-box codes, which contained an image of a riffle on it. "That's your _Hero's Duty_ gun."

"Interesting..." Calhoun responded with a laid back tone. "But is there anything you can do with it?"

"Well, let's see," I said, taking the moment to think about what I could possibly do to Calhoun's gun code, let alone do anything with the code that could help the group. I thought about computers and my interactions with them at my Intern work. I thought about how I had to add directions to job sites for the engineers, and data to fill in the needs they required for prior knowledge before heading out to build on a job site. Those files I worked with usually simply required me to click 'Save As'. I had no idea how to go back and recreate a document just like they wanted, so I recycled.

"Copy and paste," I mumbled aloud.

"Say what?"

"Shh, I'm thinking here!" I narrowed my eyes as I reached my hand outward to the gun code, and tapped my finger twice on its surface, which seemed to trigger a highlight effect on the entire cluster. With my index finger still on it, I used my pinky to literally right click it, and with both fingers still glued onto it, I drug a copy from the original and placed it into the open space directly in front of me. When I released the copied code, another _Hero's Duty_ gun glitched into existence right beside me.

Calhoun's blue eyes fixated on the new _Hero's Duty_ gun just as it finished appearing and grabbed it. "This can't be happening." She huffed again in disbelief.

"See if it works," I told her. "It looks legit to me."

For a second Calhoun messed around with the gun, flipping through its controls and looking through its scope before looking over at me. "It's legit, whatever that means." She grinned lightly. "Well what do you know, you're a programmer and didn't even realize it. I wonder if you can make a copy of me?"

"Eh, that looks more complicated," I responded with a nervous sigh. "It looks like that copy paste deal I just did only works on individual files in your code. I don't think I can copy paste the entire thing. Besides I don't know if having clones of everyone would be all that good."

"You do realize that there were probably clones of all of us at other arcades, right? At least before the Cy-bugs destroyed everything. A bunch of other me's and Felix's waking around all the same acting."

"Thinking about it I don't think they would be the same _exactly_." I nodded my head as I thought, then said, "The copy and paste move could work on making your physical copies but you won't be the same people. Kinda like twins. You may sound and look the same but personalities are different."

"Can you imagine a Turbo that didn't go AWOL?" Calhoun chuckled a little. "I guess you're right. In your logic if all Programs were indeed the same we'd have a bunch of crazy Turbo's turning themselves into King Candy's. King Candy isn't even a real character, really. Turbo made him up."

"Heh, yeah. Turbo made an OC, only he became his OC."

"What the roar is an OC?"

"It's when—oh geez, nevermind." I shook my head as I tried to hide a smile. "After all this nonsense is over I'll tell you what all that stuff is."

"If I recall you also brought up something called cosplay. So yeah, you need to fill me in on all this User talk."

I laughed again, though this time turned my attention upwards to the open ceiling. "All right, let's go back and tell the others what we discovered. I think now that it's all clear in here Steven will want to have a look."

I then reached my arms upward and kicked at the open space, seemingly swimming back up to the grid above me. Calhoun followed rather effortlessly even with a second _Hero's Duty_ gun in her possession.

"Hello? Can you hear me, over?" Steven's voice came from Calhoun's wrist; apparently some sort of com-link was implanted there and Steven, being the smarty-pants he was, linked it to his Omni-Tool.

"Yeah, I hear you loud and clear," Calhoun responded, but right then didn't receive a response. Her eyes shifted to me for a second before talking back into the com-link. "I hear you, hello?"

"You didn't say over, over," Steven said, then started to chuckle like an idiot. We could hear everyone sigh in the background.

"Cut the crap, four-eyes, just tell me what you gotta say."

"Okay, okay!" Steven let loose a long sigh before continuing. "I'm about to start up the portal, are you guys all right?"

"Yeah, we're ready for you," Calhoun responded.

A few seconds went by and then, suddenly, just a few yards from where we were the portal appeared in all it's glory. I had anticipated it would open far away, like it normally would but this time that wasn't the case. I thought to myself how much easier things would have been the first time around if the portal was closer to me, but then again it would have probably been easier for that Cy-bug as well.

Without much hesitation we walked into the portal, soon being welcomed again by the wet air, and constantly dripping raindrops of the real world. Steven, along with pretty much everyone else, looked at Calhoun's second _Hero's Duty_ gun in awe, apparently realizing that whatever happened again on the grid was good on our part.

"How did—how on earth?!" Steven was overly exited, I could tell by the way his teeth clenched together and how his face turned red like a babies would when laughing. "You were able to code a new _Hero's Duty_ gun?"

"Well, not new, I copied it," I admitted. "Having another _Hero's Duty_ gun on us will help us immensely."

"You better believe it!" Steven rushed over towards us, taking hold of the copied weapon and holding it in his arms like a child. "Oh wow... oh boy," he started to chant.

"You have the Omni-Tool, Steven," Dannen chimed in. "Why don't you let me have that gun? I don't have any program objects yet."

"Well, I guess you need it more than I do." Steven handed it to Dannen. "Kailey has the Light Cycle anyway, so we're even. But I wonder... can we make more _Hero's Duty_ weapons? Like the pistols?"

"I'd say so," I replied.

Steven jumped for joy suddenly as he threw the Shiva Gun in Vanellope's arms without second thought. "Shoot me!"

"Woah, don't get ahead of yourself, you'll get your stuff, just hold up," Vanellope responded to Steven's demands while eyeing the Shiva Gun. "I guess you just pull the trigger here?"

"Yeah, yeah just do it!" Steven was shaking his fists now as he waited anxiously. "Dannen, why don't you come with me? It'll do you good to see all this yourself, too."

"Hey, what about me?" I let my arms fall to my sides in disappointment. "Don't I need something else? I could use a gun."

Dannen laughed at me. "Please Kailey, I think that racing suit and Light Cycle combo will do for now. Besides, I don't think you are strong enough to carry around a big weapon like that."

"Bull shit I can carry it! I've carried around cosplay props before!"

"Plastic is different than metal." Dannen chuckled again. "Just deal with what you have...or maybe I'll just make extra pistol copies for everyone."

I felt my face puff up in frustration, but upon thinking about it I realized I wouldn't be able to carry myself properly holding a riffle anyway. I had a hard time running as it was, so the lighter racing suit and Light Cycle I was wearing and carrying would probably work for the time being.

"Fine, while you guys do that I'm going to lay down in the truck. I think I'm done for now."

"Oh all right, yeah whatever..." Steven's voice drifted as he put his focus on Vanellope preparing the Shiva Gun, while everyone else did pretty much the same out of curiosity to what was going on.

Letting my arms fall to my side and dangle from exhaustion I walked back over to the truck and climbed in, effortlessly closing the door behind me and falling onto my side. For a moment I laid there, staring at the back of the passenger's seat until I couldn't keep my eyes open any longer. With a sigh I shut them, hoping I could stay blissfully sound like this for a long enough time before something else weird happened again.

It couldn't have been more than ten, maybe fifteen minutes that went by before I heard the door to the driver's seat open and close. Despite whoever was attempting to come in was doing so as quietly as they could, I suppose without wanting to wake me, they were doing a horrible job at it.

I knew Calhoun wasn't the most graceful of people but I had to hand it to her, at least she was trying. I suppose being a light sleeper had its difficulties anyway to begin with, not to mention this ability to awaken at the speed of light when hearing something abnormal would have been considered a super power on its own.

I stretched my body out, filling a good portion of the back seat as I attempted to open my eyes, though I found this was rather difficult since I managed to relax so soundly that my body had anticipated a full-fledged nap despite how we were only supposed to stay here a while to figure out the code.

"Are we leaving yet?" I asked aloud as I rubbed my eyes, though upon my question hearing a soft gasp, and then a grumble, followed by the sound of keys falling to the floor board.

Opening my eyes then, and lifting myself up enough to look over the seat, I suddenly sucked in a lungful of air, and at that moment prepared to let out a scream. From the driver's seat, looking at me from the corner of his eye, was Turbo.

What are yo—!?" I found this desire to yell was suddenly halted like a train slamming into a car when Turbo flipped around so fast that for a second his entire big balding head and purple tail coat seemed to mesh together in a line of color, ending with his hand completely covering my mouth, and his face arriving inches away from mine.

A serious glare formed within his brown eyes, but despite his attempts at looking like he was completely in control of his emotions, a smirk began to appear on his lips.

"Be quiet!" he said in a harsh whisper, retaining his crooked grin. "We're leaving these buffoons whether you like it or not."

My mind started to race with different questions but with his hand latched onto my mouth I couldn't talk whatsoever. Instead I stared wide-eyed back at him, still taking in his regular King Candy persona as if I was looking at a ghost. I was so used to his intimidating Cy-brid self that this was catching me off guard. He wasn't particularly intimidating anymore, and he certainly wasn't trying to kill everyone at every turn, but he still carried a mysterious aura about himself that didn't differentiate much from how he was like before.

"Now, Th'sweettart, if I take my hand off of you will you promise not to th'scream?" The harshness in his voice seemed to calm down.

In response I nodded my head up and down, grumbling a "uh-huh" to let him know I would listen to his request. For a moment he stared at me, his glare softening and causing his thick grey eyebrows to heightened on his forehead, twisting his expression to something that of victory.

"Good."

After his statement he removed his hand from my face, allowing me to let out a deep breath, and begin to speak.

"What are you doing? And how did you get in here without alerting the others?" I asked, completely baffled by his return.

"Those ideotth's are too concerned with that laser thing that they didn't notith'ce me. And if it wasn't already obvious I'm getting us out of here."

" _Please_..." I cooed, attempting to laugh a little when I heard him say he was trying to escape. "With the truck? I'd like to see you try and reach the pedals, Shorty."

His grin momentarily dropped. "Don't underestimate me," he stated sternly.

"Listen to me..." I tried extending my hand slightly to show I was being sincere now, but regardless, Turbo still continued to carry himself like a wolf on the prowl. "I know you had a rough past with Ralph and Vanellope, but this is above all that. We're dealing with something much bigger than ourselves and we need to stick together."

"You talk as if you trust me..." He narrowed his eyes again, and his lips pulled back, revealing some teeth. "You're talking to me as if I have done nothing to you."

"It's because I choose too!" My voice heightened then, causing me to pause abruptly to attempt to keep in line to what Turbo had asked of me before. When I felt like I had my tone under control I continued, saying, "I didn't go the extra mile to watch you run away, or to try and steal our truck with me in it."

"Then why?" His voice cracked. "Anyone else would have taken the chance to destroy me. Even those fools outside you call friends rejoiced my first 'death' when they saw me go into Diet Cola Mountain. Why are you... _how_ could you forgive me?"

"Because I believe in you." As I looked at him again my rushed voice slowed down. I could tell he was sincere, which was a rarity considering the type of person he was and what he had done. I admit I was a little taken aback. The last time he looked at me like that was the night before when he was still a Cy-brid; the moment it seemed to escape me that I actually cared for him. Although this seemed like a repeated conversation to me in some ways, I realized how now, at this moment, he was beginning to realize what I was trying to do.

Though of course realization doesn't change what you want right then, and there.

"We're still leaving," Turbo said sternly, "and you're coming with me."

"Stop!" I tried lifting myself up from the seat, though he cornered me again by placing both hands on my shoulders and pushed me back down. Once I fell back harshly on the seat, he turned around and fell to the floorboard to try and retrieve the keys. Once my eyes looked upward and around the vehicle, however, I noticed everyone standing at the windows peeking in, containing a scowl on their faces so low that at first I thought they were stuck like that.

The door flailed open and Ralph's hand followed inside, grabbing a hold of Turbo, and pulled him out of the truck. While sitting up as fast as I could, I heard Turbo spill a series of random words, stumbling apparently since he was caught in the act. "Put me down, Wreck-It Ralph!" he managed to get out.

Kicking my door open I plopped out and onto the ground, and got around everyone who crowded and watched as Turbo struggled to get out of Ralph's large hand like a cat trying to get out of an unwanted embrace.

"Start talking!" Calhoun walked up to him, and poked his nose harshly. "Give us a good reason why we shouldn't dump your scheming self right here, and leave without you!"

"Hands off me, you barbarians!" Turbo wailed his arms a little extra this time, refusing to answer Calhoun's question.

At that time Steven and Dannen came running up to join us.

"What the hell is going on?" Dannen lashed out.

"What does it look like?" Vanellope may have been a little girl but her voice was like venom. "Turbo here tried to kidnap your sister again."

"Persistent little guy, isn't he?" Ralph mocked him as he continued to hold onto him. "I wonder how much it would take to squeeze you out cold?"

"You guys, stop!" I finally leaped in fully, diving in front of Ralph, and placing a hand on his large knuckles. "You all stop this now!"

"We're giving him a taste of his own medicine!" Vanellope looked up at me, containing her irritated scowl on her face. "After that we'll leave his dirty butt here."

"Let's see how you can handle yourself, all by yourself with nobody to talk to, Turbo." Ralph had an expression that seemed to be filled with enjoyment. It was like whatever he had felt in the past was suddenly being thrown onto Turbo, and he found a sense of justice in this.

"Ralph listen to me!" I was louder this time, which caused Ralph to finally look at me, likewise with everyone else. "You are all supposed to be good guys! Maybe your game doesn't say you're a good guy but you need to choose who you want to be, here and now! What is good about any of this? What kind of example are you showing?"

"For fifteen years King Candy made me suffer." Vanellope didn't seem to want to give in. "Every single day I was bullied and tortured and it was all his fault!"

"Does that make this justice by becoming a bully yourself?!" I found my eyes were watering again but despite this I held them back with all the power I had. "I may have not been tortured for fifteen years, but I was not exempt to Turbo's cruelty. But you know what, I didn't choose revenge, and neither should you!"

Vanellope's little fists started to un-clench, her eyes meeting Ralph's with a silent mutual understanding. Through Vanellope's irritation I could see her hazel eyes start to glisten with frustration. "Ralph, put him down..." Vanellope was now the one trying with all her might to keep herself from breaking down.

Ralph gave off a concerned expression and looked down towards little Vanellope. Ultimately, he listened to her.

Once Ralph released Turbo from his grip, Ralph in turn reached out to Vanellope and placed his large hand on her back, being as gentle as he could be despite that he looked like he could hurt her due to his size.

Felix, as well, being the kindly man he was, approached the little dark-haired girl, consoling her all he could. "You're doing the right thing, Vanellope," he assured her. Even from the start I could tell he was more on my side when it came to Turbo, but he always chose to stand idly by until his sympathy was needed.

"I don't believe this," Calhoun huffed again. "We may have mended some sort of weird ties, but I for one still don't trust Candy Freak. Who's going to watch him?"

"I will." I volunteered this instantly, then said, "I'll take him as my responsibility. I fixed him, so he's mine."

"I hope you know what you're doing," Calhoun admitted. "Let's all hurry up and get back in the truck and get going. We've wasted enough time as it is."

Quietly, everyone started following Calhoun to the truck, leaving me and Turbo standing alone. Crossing my arms over my chest I stared at him intently, watching as he came back out of his mental shell and looked up at me.

"You heard her," I stated. "Let's get moving, _King Candy_."


	14. Humanity's Last Hope.(jpeg)

Being honest with myself I, for some weird ass reason, thought things would be going a lot smoother. My choice to part Turbo from his Cy-bug form was a feat not even Steven could have foreseen, and yet despite my attempts to change an inevitable fate of destruction for the racer, I instead brought him into a group of isolation. I mean, I knew the group wouldn't particularly _like_ Turbo, especially after all he had done both recently after his escape into the real world and whatever chaos he instilled those many years ago in the arcade, but seeing the others grow so bundled in quiet anger, and fear within themselves, was the one thing I beforehand had not foreseen.

I would be lying to myself if I said I wasn't worried though. Sitting right next to Turbo, or King Candy as the others had continued to refer to him as on and off, brought a mixture of discomfort, awkwardness and nervousness over me. Like the others, he was utterly quiet, and kept his attention out the window next to him as to pry himself from the situation at hand. I wouldn't have been surprised if he was just as nervous as everyone else was, though he had a way of hiding it so perfectly that by looking at him, only briefly, I could mistakenly assume he was just angry.

Among the entire group, however, Vanellope held the strongest aura of anger and fear. Although turned away from me due to sitting in the front seat, the young girl would move around constantly, positioning herself in her seat over and over again, like she was sitting on needles. From the realization just how serious this was by everyone's attitude, I finally found myself focusing on Turbo, and nothing but Turbo.

Side-eyeing him like a submissive cat, I managed to steal a glance at him. It took some force on my behalf to settle my gaze, but when my eyes stopped darting back to the seat in front of me out of worry, I finally settled my hidden stare on the violet garbed king.

_What was going through his head?_

Suddenly, our places had been switched, and the one submerged in his own thoughts was Turbo, and I was the one trying to figure him out. His hands sat before him and on his lap clasping one another; the only movement in them was his thumbs, which twiddled with each other at certain moments, but so fast and so brief that catching this rare outward expression of his feelings would require staring him down like a hawk at all times—which I was doing right then.

Apparently, my stare was becoming obvious, and from his still position Turbo shifted his eyes quickly to meet mine, though he retained his serious expression so well that this caused me to lightly jump.

Looking away instantly I tried focusing my attention on the back of the seat before me, in particular trying to stare at a small darker shade of grey in the fabric as to have some sort of focal point to latch onto. My mind was very random in its attempts to evade Turbo taking notice of me, so focusing on anything was difficult. Nonetheless, I managed to do it this time, for a little bit, before I found my eyes slowly but surely slip from the dot on the seat, and back towards Turbo.

I jumped again, but this time the hairs on the back of my neck stood up in unison with my scare. _He was still looking at me._

His bushy grey eyebrows remained lowered as he stared back, for a while containing his previous irritable expression as if it was his new default face. His brown eyes, whose focus was on my own, would rip briefly from my gaze as he seemed to look me over, though just as fast as he did so his stare would return back to my eyes. Very slowly, but surely, however, his straight lipped expressions slowly began to curve upward into a smirk.

After this twisted grin settled on Turbo's expression for a few seconds, I tore my attention from him as fast as I could, returning my focus onto the seat in front of me. After my retreat from eye-contact, I could feel a wave of heat consume my face as if I was lighting up like a stoplight. Normally I would have been able to refrain from blushing with such intensity, but for some reason it was unavoidable this time. I turned my head slightly to the right, and towards my brother, attempting to use the side of my helmet as a shield to my face, and escape this awkward smirk that Turbo had shot at me.

Well, at least he smiled, right? Then again I didn't even know if that was a good thing at that point. I suppose staring at him like I had done was just the kind of attention he needed for his supposed high ego to devour on sight, and considering I was the only one in the truck that he had even an inch of interest in, he liked it. Ridiculous. I really wish I could become a brick wall like Calhoun sometimes, and not get so embarrassed like I did. Normally, I wouldn't get embarrassed, at least to where you could tell so obviously from my appearance. Candyman here seemed to bring that awkwardness out of me, I guess. I wanted to punch myself, this was getting out of hand.

I had a sudden desperation to further distance myself from Turbo, though due to being in the truck that was impossible. So, in order to distract myself I suddenly spat out a question aloud.

"How did you guys make it out alive after Dell took me?" I paused briefly to let this question, which emerged from out of the blue, soak into the group. "I saw Calhoun get shot... _In the face_ , I might add."

"I don't believe it myself either," Calhoun answered immediately with a chuckle, as if the incident was no big deal. "Sure I was hit, but lucky for me it wasn't a vital blow. If a shell were to hit me a few scoots over I'd probably be dead. If it also wasn't for Felix being there... well, let's just say you'd still be stuck in that castle."

"Wow..." I muttered this with awe. It was all I really could say. I remembered a whole bunch of Cy-bugs appearing after Dell took off with me, so the idea of just the five of them pushing back all those monsters, and surviving long enough to recreate the Shiva Laser in a handheld device was astounding. Sitting there with them I began to feel safer by the second. There was literally nobody else in the world I'd rather hang out with, and from our one shot plan, I felt that nothing could hinder our progression now. These guys were total badasses, and I couldn't have asked for anyone better to hang out with, especially during an apocalypse.

Thinking about it longer, as I remained seated in a comfort I had yet to take for granted, I realized that I must have been the luckiest girl in the world. Not to brag, but I was always the one to look down, and find four-leaf clovers in the grass, or to find a ten dollar bill in the dryer on days I thought I wasn't going to have enough gas money. But then again, my luck did come with misfortune. I remember misplacing those ten dollar bills all the time, and to this day I have no idea where I put those four leaf clovers I had saved. The same story about my luck could be seen here. Yes, I had super cool, and powerful video game character friends to hang out with, and protect me, but at the same time the struggle to get to this point was awful. Thinking about it like that I guess there was no such thing as luck, since it constantly balanced itself out through the course of events.

"Hey, guys..." Steven's voice grumbled from under his down turned head, in which was constantly stuck staring at the Omni-Tool. "I've got an oncoming on the radar."

"Cy-bugs?" Calhoun said, assuming the worst.

"No... It's something else."

"Who's _that_?" Felix asked aloud with concern, then bringing my attention, and likewise everyone else's in the truck to the road in front of the us. We had been driving for quite a while, so I was used to seeing nothing but blank road and treeline. It was the sudden appearance of a military blockade on the road, with soldiers scouting about, that drew me back from my safe feeling, and to alert once again.

Even before we were close enough to make out the faces of the soldiers, a couple armed with large riffles stepped onto the road and before their blockade, and raised their hands in the air to stop us. At first I wasn't sure if Calhoun was going to stop, but after a few moments of coasting, the truck came to a break a few yards in front of the blockade.

It only took a moment for the situation to turn from curiosity to chaos once again.

"Get out of the vehicle, _now_!" one of the soldiers yelled, triggering at least five others to surround the truck with their riffles aimed at us.

"What's going on here?" Dannen spoke up as the doors swung open, which let the moist air into the truck with a _swoosh_.

"I said get out of he car, all of you!" the soldier repeated without hesitation. I felt my heart start to race when they grabbed Steven on the other side of the back seat, and then Felix in the front. It only took a swift movement before Turbo disappeared from beside me, and a hand clutched my arm afterward, tearing me from my seat and onto the slimy concrete outside.

"What's going on here?!" Calhoun erupted furiously. "We need to move! You're only making us waste more time!"

The soldiers bluntly ignored Calhoun, despite her anger, and started to look us over. After a few moments of this stare, the soldier giving orders spoke up again. "Tell the general we have three human survivors and five Programs..."

"Wait—it's him!" one of the other men stated with wide eyes, completely shattering the exchange in urgency. His hands wobbled for a moment, then straightened abruptly, and stiffly, as he lifted one arm to point down at Turbo. "It's that thing! That _monster_!"

At that moment all of the soldiers who were purely focused on the group as a whole, turned their attention to Turbo. I could see pure horror strike their eyes as they looked at him, taking a few steps back as if they were among a lion, and lifted their guns in unison to prohibit any sort of fight that may emerge. "Call the general! Put the base on high alert!" the commander yelled. "Prepare the containment unit, and seize him!"

"Wait a minute!" I felt my heart sink as this urgency slipped from the military men around me and into me. "He's not like he was!"

"You're—you're the First User!" the soldier who had recognized Turbo said to me in a state of revelation. "She's the First User! She was with that monster the entire time! She knows something we don't!"

"Separate them!" the commander ordered. "Separate all of them, interrogate them, and isolate the enemy in the containment unit! Nobody is leaving this base until we get answers! And for God's sake, somebody call the general, now!"

I felt another set of hands grab me, and with a harsh motion a set of cold handcuffs locked my hands behind my back. I watched as Dannen, Steven, Calhoun, Felix, Ralph and Vanellope were forcefully escorted through the blockade with weapons aimed at them from the surrounding soldiers, and then Turbo, which suddenly became the focus of my worry, was surrounded and pulled to the side, and away from me.

"This is a misunderstanding!" I cried. "You have to let us go! There isn't much time!" Among my own yelling I could hear Turbo spew a series of profanities himself, though from the sudden uproar it was difficult to hear him.

"Be quiet!" the commander scoffed. "You are now under arrest by the United States Military. As of right now you are considered a terrorist against your country and the world at large."

As much as his words frightened me, I couldn't peel my eyes off of Turbo. His struggle was rather useless against the many soldiers, and as he began to disappear through the blockade, and down the treeline separate from the others, I began to scream. "No!" I hollered. "Don't take him away! He's not a Cy-bug! _He's not a Cy-bug_!" I found myself flailing around, and the further I was separated from him I found my panic was escaping me more ferociously.

"Stop or we'll use force!" the commander warned, but from my panic of separation I was losing it. A mixture of fear, and agony filled my chest as I heaved to gain breath, while every muscle in my body contracted at once to give me strength I didn't know I possessed. With a quick pull I lunged forward towards the direction they had taken Turbo, and dived through two soldiers until I was stopped dead in my tracks, and brought downward.

With a smack I landed on the wet ground, and felt a heavy weight of being pressed down before everything went dark.

I felt out of touch with the world as I woke up. It was like being submerged under a lake of thick ice, and slowly coming to the surface. My still and motionless state, accompanied by the sudden wave of light that came over me like a canvas, pulled me slowly from my subconsciousness. It took time to make out my surroundings; my sight was blurred but very steadily became sharp and clear as I allowed my senses to recover. The instant my sight returned, sound followed, like thunder after a lightning flash but continued with the feeling of a throb at my neck which pounded heavily like a flick every time my heart beat.

I was in a bare, tan colored room, sitting on a chair. In font of me there were matching tables that seemed to be rusted like the rest of the place. To the rightmost side of me I saw a set of windows, that to me looked like mere mirrors, however, the situation leading me to believe I was in an interrogation room. A single door on the upper corner of the room, and before the glass, remained shut briefly before the lock on the doorknob began to jingle.

Even in my half-awakened state this alerted me again. With the opening of the door I was instantly brought back to the moment before I was knocked out.

Where had they taken the others? Where was Turbo, and was my brother okay?

As these questions slipped through my mind I had the quick urge to sit up, though from my sudden movement I heard a clank sound at my back, accompanied by the feeling of the same set of cuffs clutched around my wrists, though now which latched me onto the chair. I grew stiff then like a goat.

Once the door opened, a different soldier walked into the room. "Glad you're awake," she said calmly, and without another word took a seat directly in front of me, letting this moment of silence lag on for a bit. It was this silence though that made me more nervous, and restless.

"You're the First User, right?" was her next question. It came off in such a continued dramatic kindness, and serenity that I was caught off guard.

"Yes..." I stuttered, but I managed to get the answer out.

"What is your name?"

"Kailey..."

"Your full name."

"I don't feel comfortable telling you that." As I spoke my eyes started to narrow.

"I don't think comfort is a luxury you have, Kailey. Tell me then, how are you feeling?"

"I thought this was an interrogation." This slipped from my mouth more sarcastically than I wanted.

"This _is_ an interrogation." For a split second her calm domineer broke as if she was getting annoyed, but she professionally picked herself up within an instant. "We have reason to believe you are a threat to our world. You were a part of the organization that created the Shiva Laser, are you not?"

"Organization?" My sharp narrowed eyes relaxed slightly as my confusion filtered onto my face. "I'm not part of any organization."

"We know you're lying, there is no use in dismissing the facts," the soldier continued. "Your buddies Steven and Dannen told us all about the creation of the Shiva Laser."

"We're not an _organization_. Steven and Dannen are just part of some ridiculous geek fest of a robotics club that found blue prints to the Shiva Laser. They're just a bunch university students who put their noses into business that they shouldn't have."

"Just a bunch of kids, huh? Were they aware of Program sentience when they found these blueprints? And if so, did they organize the downfall of mankind after their discovery?"

"No! For God sake, no!" I wanted to laugh at the same time as I said this. Her accusations were so appalling that I didn't know what to think. "We had no idea the game characters were alive. Nobody did. They're just like you and me; they're just like people."

"Then tell me why that bug monster with a human head gathered together his army of insects to take over our world? And mostly for that matter, why were you _with_ him?"

"He's not a monster!" I felt my fists tighten together behind me as my teeth clenched together. "Not anymore. And those bug things you're talking about are called Cy-bugs. They're viruses. They do not know right from wrong: they're mindless creatures who are acting on their programming."

"So, you're saying the creators of a video games are the terrorists?"

"No! Nobody is a flipping terrorist! Nobody knew game characters were alive, not even the viruses!"

"Do you know, regardless of if this was just an 'accident', you and your organization are still responsible for what happened? Because you are responsible you are a threat. And because you are a threat we have no reason to trust you."

"What is this shit?!" I spat this out irritably, suddenly my arms raising as if I wanted to pull the chains at my back and tear them apart. "You cannot possibly throw that kind of sentence on us! All Dannen and Steven wanted to do was make video games more fun! And you know what, it still can be. There are thousands, no, millions of game characters in every console in the world, and if they're not already destroyed by the Cy-bugs then we have opened a door for the biggest leap humanity has ever seen! Dannen and Steven are anything but terrorists. They are heroes! They discovered something nobody knew about! New life, life _we_ created!"

"Calm down, Kailey." The soldier acted like she wanted to sit back from me as if I was a rabid dog. "I'm sorry, but regardless of what you think we are placing you and your organization under arrest. Your program characters will be locked away, monitored and studied, and the one that had been responsible for leading this army of Cy-bugs will be terminated."

Instantly, I felt my irritation rush off of me like a surge of electricity, though come bubbling and firing back in a slow but powerful wave of fear. In that moment, as I sat there restrained, I wanted to lift the entire ceiling from above me, and throw it a hundred miles away from here. My lungs gasped inward as I drew breath, and then with all the power my body could unleash I screamed.

"NO!" I hollered. "NO! YOU CAN'T DO THAT!"

"The general has not yet given the order but the punishment is clear. We need to have that Program executed."

"Don't you understand?! Cy-bugs are the ones we need to worry about! Turbo had been consumed by one of them but I fixed him! He's not a monster! He's not a Cy-bug! If you kill him you're a murderer!"

"Stop yelling!" Her voice heightened a bit but remained submissive in comparison to mine.

"MURDERER!" I continued wailing this aloud as if it was the last string that held everything together. "I did not work this hard, and go through all this to have _you_ and the rest of you incompetent _idiots_ take it away from me!"

From my out lash two other soldiers rushed into the room. One of them held a large needle, apparently a drug that they had used to put me out in the first place. It was from seeing this that my mere yelling turned into an outright struggle. I tried sitting up, though from my imprisoned state I could only slide off the chair, causing half my body to hover over the ground. When I saw them coming at me I kicked the small table in front of me, sending it scooting across the ground a couple of inches before it fell down, and almost on the woman who had been interrogating me.

I felt like I had nothing to lose at this point. I didn't want to be the submissive little intern or college student anymore that always took orders. I wasn't going to allow these people to kill someone that was just as alive as I was, especially when these people didn't know what was really going on. I had seen it for myself. His code and my DNA were the same, and even if the bare essence of scientific proof wasn't enough, it could be seen in the way Turbo acted. He was alive. They _all_ were alive. All Programs. And instead of realizing this these humans in their incompetence could think of nothing but to study them like lab rats or kill them if they didn't know what to do with them. I wasn't going to stand by and let it happen.

"Cy-bugs are the enemy!" I yelled. "Cy-bugs are the monsters! They need to be stopped!"

"Restrain her!" the woman commanded, sending the two other soldiers at me to prepare and put me out again. They didn't make it even an inch closer to me though before the door opened.

"Stop this, now!" The voice was familiar, and as I looked up I realized who it was. Standing there at the doorway next to her grandfather, was Rachel.

"What are you doing in here, this is a private session!" the soldier exhaled.

Rachel, instead of speaking right away, reached inside her pocket and took out her police badge. "My name is Rachel Wyatt and I am a state police officer. I have continued my duty throughout this entire ordeal, and I can tell you as a witness to the First User, she is innocent."

"You witnessed Kailey during the time she spent in the city?" the soldier woman asked.

"Kailey is an innocent civilian caught up in this mess like the rest of us. She is part of no conspiracy against anyone and neither are the Programs. The only enemy we have are the Cy-bugs, and this little group already has a plan to stop this."

"Oh really?" the woman scoffed in disbelief. "You may be an officer of the law but you have no mind to what's going on."

"I beg to differ." From behind Rachel and Aaron was an middle-aged man clad in high rank attire. His helmet bore four stars, and among his uniform he carried a badge of the Purple Heart, among many others. I quickly realized this was the general everyone had talked about before. "After receiving word of all the details from the other suspects, and also Officer Wyatt here, I have come to the conclusion that these folks will not be arrested."

"But, Sir!"

"Desperate times call for desperate measures, Cadet," the general continued. "Nobody knows how to handle this situation more than those Programs and kids outside. We need to work with them to take back our world." He paused briefly before looking from the concerned soldiers in front of him and to me, then said, "Please take those cuffs off her and bring her to my office."

"Yes, Sir." The woman from before stated, and gestured to the others who had come in to initially knock me out to instead help me up. It only took a moment before the large needle in the ones guy's hand was replaced by a set of keys, and then used to rid the metal bands around my wrists.

The moment those cold metal cuffs left my arms I sat up as quickly as I could, though making sure not to forget to let off a mild sneer at my captors before I walked over to meet Rachel and Aaron at the door.

Upon my presence at their side, the three of us began to follow the general out of the interrogation area and to the outer most portion of the military base.

Although it was apparently a temporary station among the far outer boundaries of the city, the base, made of a handful of large tents and structures, seemed sturdy among the tall trees and brush in which surrounded them. The sound of people, however, came in upon my first step to the outside like a wave of water. Large buses filled with civilians drove into and out of the military base, disappearing through the trees and onto the gravel road that lead to the main freeways beyond. Even as these frightened people were moved about, determination was the feeling of the base at its core. These soldiers had such an intense focus latched onto their expression it wouldn't have surprised me that nothing but a Cy-bug would turn them to disorder at this point. It was funny, among weeks of chaos, to finally see something that resembled organization.

I followed Rachel, her grandfather, and the general from the building, and soon arrived to another building of equal size. I made sure to take in every single face that passed by me. Both soldier and civilian alike, battered nor untouched did not go without recognition. I had a need to do this so I could feel familiarity of people. I had been locked away for so long with nobody but Turbo to keep me company, that the idea of being around real people was what was starting to become fantasy to me. The real world wasn't even, well, _real_ to me anymore. Suddenly I was beginning to realize that game characters and humans had become so mashed together in my perception of existence that they were switching places. Rules that I had been taught growing up were being broken, and laws of the physical world, as time went on, were being questioned.

I felt dazed in certain moments as I walked, but managed to keep myself following the others in good timing. I felt like the little kid in that online video who had just gotten back from the dentist. To be quite honest though, I wasn't sure if I was questioning if my surroundings were 'real life' or not because I genuinely thought so, or because I was coming off a high from the drugs they had stabbed into me from before that put me out.

"Please, right this way." The general extended a warm welcoming as we made it to the building across the way. Upon the doors opening I saw his office, inside adorned with maps and charts covering the walls. However, my focus fell on Dannen and Steven instantly, who were sitting in front of the desk.

"Dannen!" I called, at that point ignoring everyone else and ran towards my brother with open arms. My brother sat up and met my embrace in his, both of us letting off a sigh of relief once we were realized the both of us were really there.

"Are you okay?" I managed to ask first. "I was so worried."

"I'm okay... I'm worried about you, though. I heard you yelling then I saw them drag you away. I was so scared something bad was going to happen."

"Everything's fine now, I can assure you." The general intervened in our reunion, and walked around his desk, letting his fingers fall over his maps and papers for a moment before he sat down. I fell to a seat between Dannen and Steven, while Aaron and Rachel remained standing behind us.

"These boys were just telling me about your little incident," the general began softly, "and they're also telling me how you plan to fix this. I can imagine you need to leave as soon as possible, though I wanted to personally tell you all, with the three of you here at once, that I apologize for the misunderstanding. You see, we have been searching for a way to fight these Cy-bugs, but as you can see, to no avail. The more we kill, more keep coming. This Shiva Laser that you believe exists could be our only hope to stop the Cy-bugs once and for all."

"Yes... this is true," I responded sincerely. "Once we found out about this other laser, Steven was going to mimic the blueprints on his Omni-Tool."

"Exactly," Steven nodded in agreement. "This process might destroy the existing Shiva Laser or its original purpose, but perhaps if I can figure out the reverse engineering aspect of its power that can create beacons. Of course, it will take some time, I'm sure, but with many beacons scattered across the world we essentially will have a way to capture the Cy-bugs, and destroy them."

"Yes, good," The general smiled mildly. "Your plan is all we have to lean on. Every day that goes by we are losing more soldiers."

"And we'll start losing more civilians soon," I added. "As you know, the Cy-bug's leader has been stopped. From his loss of control Cy-bugs will return to their normal function, and will not hesitate to kill civilians, whether or not these civilians have submitted to them initially or not."

"And from what I've gathered about that... This Turbo guy, he isn't dangerous anymore?" the general asked.

"He's not dangerous," I stated firmly. "Not anymore. You see, that brings me to another problem. When a Cy-bug eats a human, the human dies. However, when a Cy-bug eats a Program, they merge together. This transformation is much like... well, Malware taking over your computer. The original files are there, but they are corrupted. Separation is possible but only onto the coding level. This coding is hard to get to though, and so far we've only seen this to be possible with the help of the Shiva Laser and its mini counterpart the Shiva Gun. Programs need to be protected. We all need to work together to ensure each other's survival. I know for a fact there are other Programs out there, and we need to help them."

"I agree," the general said. "We will do all we can to hold back the Cy-bugs from the city. You need to go find this Shiva Laser, and if possible, report back to us." The general sat up, and then extended a hand towards the doorway. "Rachel, can you escort Kailey to retrieve the Programs? I need to organize the data transfer between Steven and Dannen before they leave."

"Yes, Sir." Rachel nodded respectfully, and opened the doorway, waiting for me briefly before she walked away from the office with her ever silent grandfather at her side.

I took a moment to stretch before I sat up and followed them. Rachel and Aaron continued to walk ahead of me without a word before curiosity, and a mild strain of irritation, got the better of me.

"So what's your deal?" I said sternly. "First you're focused on letting Cy-bugs take me away, and eat my friends, all the while giving Turbo all the slack he needed, and suddenly you turn _good_?" I felt like I was in a Star Wars movie or something, and this chick was the Han Solo with her Chewbaca sidekick.

"I was never your enemy," Rachel stated firmly without turning around, though she at least had the courtesy to slow down. "Didn't you get what I told you weeks ago? You need to plan ahead before you strike. You can't just jump into the game."

"Well then, enlighten me," I said. "Tell me what happened. Why are you here? How did you get out of the castle?"

"Let me start from the beginning." Rachel signed as if she was losing patience, though managed to relax enough to actually talk to me. "Remember when we had that confrontation last month? You guys were opening that Cy-bug, and extracting data from it when I came into the picture prepared to let the Cy-bugs take your friends. Well, when you got taken away by that Cy-bug I had some alone time with your nerd friend and Program buddies. They told me a plan to sway me to their side, and it was a plan I couldn't deny was a good one. With you gone they were desperate for a solution, so I decided to listen. There was a way to end all this nonsense, at least when it concerned King Candybug boy, though it required my help. Because I was familiar with Turbo's plans, and had gained his trust as a guard to his new reign, I was to go back and obtain further information about the formation of the castle, as well as begin gathering more followers for our cause. As the castle was built, I took note of it. The formation of the Cy-bugs outside, the structure of the buildings and entry ways to get inside, all while you were keeping the big guy preoccupied..."

Rachel paused momentarily to look skyward, scoping the oncoming yet slow stride of the black smogy clouds from the explosion of the city.

"It was only when Kohut showed up, and dropped that _Hero's Duty_ radio, did I actually have a way to contact the group. We made plans that evening to allow the break in, resulting in your group coming through the glass ceiling and taking your brother back. It was even among your little incident with my father trying to toss you off the roof, which mind you was _not_ part of the plan, which actually helped further distract Turbo while I and my followers scouted the castle and began planting bombs that we had gathered to bring down the structure. I knew Turbo wanted to take you out for another race, so I was going to wait until you had gotten out of the building before we started our plan." A chuckle filled Rachel's throat as she pondered over what had happened, leaving my ears submerged in the constant talk and chatter of the base as we continued walking. "Although, I was surprised when I found out you didn't kill Turbo. Really." She ended her long story with an amused smile.

My eyes slowly fell to the ground, and to my feet, watching as one boot after the other clicked on the gravel. Although I wanted to be happy that the plan had been a success, the one thing that she said that had taken me by surprise was the thing that stuck out the most.

Her grandfather, Aaron, had actually tried to kill me.

I knew it when it happened, but hearing her say it again like that, and so casually, felt like my chest had been punched. I was starting to figure that's why the old man was remaining quiet. He hadn't said a word since I saw him.

"As for how we escaped, it wasn't easy, but like I said, I always have a plan," Rachel explained. "Because the Cy-bugs would have a huge distraction with those bright flames I managed to gather the civilians stationed in the castle together, and begin evacuating while Turbo took off with you. I can't say that our evacuation was spotless, and nobody got hurt, but most of us made it. Because of the drop in security from the Cy-bugs, the military waves that have been surrounding the northern borders of the city were finally allowed in to start getting people out. And so, here I am."

"I would have had no idea," I said softly, keeping my head down.

"Of course not," Rachel mused. "You'd have to be pretty smart as to not have caught my plan. Not even Turbo knew what was going on, though I suppose that was thanks to you keeping him distracted. If I didn't know any better I would have assumed he actually had feelings for you."

That was the only thing that brought my head snapping back up. She couldn't possibly believe that. Could she?

I mildly sneered again, my sense of sarcasm finally returning. Although I didn't say anything out loud I was starting to laugh at that ridiculous idea. Turbo liking _me_? Ha, nah. That was dumb. Not to mention we would make a horrendous couple. I was tall, thin and well... a human, and he was a short little Program guy with two distinct appearances of an old, goofy, big-nosed trip and a grey-skinned, yellow-toothed, racing maniac. I mean, not even Felix and Calhoun as a couple could top that in the record of the most polar-opposite couples in the world.

After Rachel finished talking, I could hear a slow, but sudden wave of uproar in the clusters of civilians in and around the buses that were loading, and leaving the base. As time passed, I began to realize that their yelling was out of fear, and through the harsh and combined voices of everyone around I heard it: the sound of hums.

"No way," Aaron finally spoke. The two stopped in their tracks, and turned their focus from the building in the not-so-far distance, and towards the parked buses among the base. Following the black cloud that had started hovering above the base, was indeed the sound of Cy-bug flight heading our way. I didn't actually expect it to happen so soon, since the fires surrounding the castle should have been going for at least a few hours, even with the rainfall.

"Dammit!" Rachel fussed, turning around swiftly then to face me and her grandfather. "You two pick one of the buses and get out of here! There's no time now, we're all in danger!"

"What?" I gasped. "But what about the others? And what about my brother? He's still back there!"

"Don't you get it? There's no time, just go!" Rachel ordered again, and pelted off towards the crowds to provide assistance, though leaving me with Aaron as a result.

"You heard her, let's go!" Aaron fussed at me, but with more emphasis. "By the sound of that buzzing if we don't get a seat now we're not gonna make it."

"No! I can't just leave everyone here!" I yelled urgently. Without hesitation I started to turn around to run back to find my brother, but Aaron's hand landed on my shoulder before I could distance myself.

"Are you crazy?!" he yelled this just as a swarm of Cy-bugs overcame the skies directly above us.

They were so fast, and so ferocious now in their flight pattern that I initially became disoriented from their combined movement. Out of panic I screamed, halting in my attempt at heading towards the office building at the far end of the base.

"Shit, there ain't no time to get in those buses, we need to take cover!" Aaron's voice boomed now to speak over the thousands of beating wings that had suddenly surrounded the base, and with his statement he dragged me to the closest tent area there was.

Once the covering of the tent came over us I listened to other sounds of screams heighten, and become more chaotic; hearing the wails of the civilians among the hums of the oncoming wave of viruses was like listening two powerful forces suddenly come clashing together like atoms among a thunderstorm. It was only the sound of engines starting, tires screeching and gut wrenching hollers did I turn around to take a look at what was in the tent itself.

At first I stood back in disbelief. I had become familiar with the idea that not only was it possible for Program characters to have escaped the arcade before the Shiva Laser's destruction, but that items and objects had been dispersed as well. It was rare, however, to find one of this size.

"Shit, them demons are everywhere! We don't have a place to go—!" Aaron found himself pausing with me once he turned his attention inside the tent. Both our eyes lay on the largest and most powerful machine in _Battle Tanxs: Global Assault_ , one of the action arcade games from Litwak's. Compared to its insignificant size from how I saw it on the console screen, the real world had brought the thing to life, and had done more than just justice to its appearance. It was at least twice as tall as Ralph was, and the single enormous barrel that sat at its front could have fit a bullet at the _minimum_ the size of a person.

My lips parted as my jaw dropped, hanging open briefly before I could mutter out my next sentence.

_"No wonder they named it the Goliath."_


	15. Goliath.(avi)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter warning: contains graphic depictions of death.

The chaotic sounds of screams and beating wings was suddenly absent from my senses as I stared at the Goliath tank that sat dormant under tent's canvas. The odds of something this large and powerful, sitting right before me like an offering at an altar, was almost poetic. In the midst of uncertainty I found in this machine to be a sign of hope. I didn't know how it worked. I didn't know what it would do, but it was proving to be a lifeline among a ranging ocean.

I remained still for the longest time, though my sense of passing moments immeasurable due to my state of mind. Again, reality around me became encased and trapped, and my contentiousness pushed it away, dismissing this reality as my thoughts became enamored with its own new world. Suddenly, flashes of memories pelted through my head like bullets, scattering and booming to life. In those brief flashes, I wasn't standing among a tent in the middle of a military base; instead I was at home, playing the sequel to _Battle Tanx_ with my brother. It was one of the first video games I had in my possession. Although I honestly could say I came late in the video game life, I proved to be a natural, especially with this one. I remember owning this game and memorizing it like the back of my hand, moving through the levels as easily as a new tire moves along concrete. This Goliath tank, however, this powerful behemoth, was key to all my battle strategies. And here it was, in the real world, there for the taking.

"We need to get in," I stated mindlessly at first, as I felt my thoughts leave me, and my mind reintroduce me to the world around me. Those loud and horrifying sounds came plummeting back to my ears like a wave, leaving me alerted once again to what was to come at potentially any moment.

"Well, quit on standing there! Let's go!" Aaron seemed to be more than willing to listen to my idea, which was new in all respects. I watched him act first and begin crawling up the ladder that sat on the side of the machine, and then open the hatch and plop in. It was only after a few seconds of listening to him shuffle inside did he finally yell, "Well, get on up here!"

I moved slowly at first, though as I moved momentum returned to my legs and arms. I climbed the ladder after Aaron, and dropped in the opening towards the upper back portion of the Goliath tank. I closed the hatch behind us, and turned my attention at a bunch of controls in front of me.

"How do we get this damned contraption to work?" Aaron continued to fuss as I heard him shift some levers around impatiently. "Turn the damned thing on!"

Looking at the controls in any other situation, I probably wouldn't have known what to do either. By all honesty it was different than during gameplay; after all, all you had to do to activate the tank in the game itself was to move the jolly-stick on the controller forward, and it would move.

"Press 'start' to continue." A woman's pre-programmed voice within the tank said aloud, revealing a large red button in the center of the controls to light up. I lifted my fingers, and struck the key instantly, this triggering a hologram sequence to appear in front of me then, showing me exactly what the tank could see at its highest point and to the outside.

"Player 1, gunner ready. Waiting for Player 2." A brief silence followed the programmed voice's statement, though as time passed I could hear Aaron's impatient huffing increase.

"Press start? You mean that flashy red button?" Aaron was an old man after all who hated video games, so I didn't make fun of him too much for asking.

"Yes, just press it!" I loudly exclaimed. Within a second, I heard him slap his hand onto the button, triggering the voice again to speak.

" _Battle Tanxs,"_ was all that uttered from the programmed speakers among us. Suddenly, the theme song to the _Battle Tanx: Global Assault_ game began to play, followed by the starting of the tank itself. The programmed heavy rock music and the rumble of the powerful Goliath stirred to life, causing my body to slightly shake along with the sound waves. It was like those shakes you got when you were at a loud concert or a monster truck show that mixed with your heart rhythm, encasing you more into whatever was happening around you. I suddenly didn't hear much of the buzzing sounds or hollers beyond the tent-line because of this. As I was adjusting to my sense of sound being vanquished, a radar appeared at my lower left among the hologram projections, revealing the thousands of Cy-bugs hovering around us, along with other white dots that looked to be allies.

" _Rescue prisoners... Convoy under attack."_ The voice spoke up again after a few seconds, its computerized female voice remaining stoic and calm compared to the rest of the sounds among me. On the radar I could see a small cluster of Cy-bugs attacking at some of the white dots, which to my belief, must have been the buses and military vehicles. The other white dots, seemingly among the buildings themselves, must be my friends. The tank apparently recognized Program characters, just as much as it did the military vehicles.

Before we could get moving, the tent around us suddenly flew into the air, reveling the battlefield before us. A Cy-bug had ripped the canvas from among us and was staring us down, opening its mouth wide to begin to attack.

I heard Aaron scream then, though the tank didn't move forward. From his slowness I could already tell he wasn't sure what he was doing. "This is nothin' like a real tank!" he explained with intensity. "This damned thing isn't even physically sound, how is it even on?"

"It's a video game tank, it's different!" I fussed urgently. "Real world physics doesn't apply to game stuff!"

At that point the Cy-bug had leaped at us. In a brief moment I allowed my hand to fly downward at a trigger handle, clenching it tightly as if I had done this thousands of times, and unleashed my first attack.

I knew the sound of Goliath fire would be loud, but the sheer recoil it expressed after the biggest bullet I had ever seen erupted from its barrel like a canon caught me by surprise. By body had surged upward in a strong flinch, and I blinked milliseconds afterwards, missing the remains of the collision that the massive bullet had on the Cy-bug. When I opened my eyes again, however, it was completely gone—disintegrated, erased, pulverized, shattered!

"Holy shit!" I exclaimed. "Did you see that?!"

"Yeah I saw that!" Aaron's voice held a tone of relief in it then as he gained confidence in the situation. "We're gonna kill every single one of these demons!"

For the first time in...well, forever, I felt excitement start up in my blood again. I had been fearful for days, weeks, months now, and suddenly, like boiling water evaporating from a hot pan, that fear began to drift. I felt what I was capable of now with the help of the Goliath tank; the sheer monstrous power I now possessed, and within the palm of my hand, my confidence matched that of the times I was the gamer with the high score, taking down armies within minutes.

"Move forward, take us first to the buildings!" I yelled over the clash of sounds. "We need to free the others, they'll be able to help us!"

"Yeah, yeah! I see em'!" Aaron answered, and without so much as a second more of wasting time the tank began to move forward. Although Aaron had constantly spat out how much he hated video games, he was surprisingly good at driving the tank. As I felt the powerful engine rumble among me and the large chain-like wheels grumble below, I started taking in more of my surroundings. Cy-bugs were everywhere. Literally, in the skies it seemed I was among a larger than life sized hornets' nest. The sheer number of Cy-bugs that had been among the city during Turbo's control were now all loose, and all on their own, among the skies, blotting out the sun in timed increments as they swarmed around in circles like vultures eyeing their prey. Although I saw that Aaron and I weren't in any immediate danger, I began to realize that the Cy-bugs had their eyes (and mouths) set on attacking the military vehicles soon. When the tank warned me about my 'convoy' being under attack I realized that I was going to have to act quickly in order to save as many people as I could.

"Make this thing drive faster!" I yelled, as we painstakingly drove over towards the buildings that the others were in.

"It won't go faster!" Aaron yelled. "Quit your bitchin'!"

Aaron's choice in rude words wasn't helping at this point. I had to do something. "Put me on speaker!" I said loudly. "Prep for when we meet the others, we can't waste a single second!"

"How am I suppose' to know how to put you on speaker, dammit!" Aaron continued to fuss. "Figure it out, I got driving to do!"

If I could free my hand for a split second I'd probably facepalm myself. Aaron may have picked up how to drive this thing but otherwise he was of no real help. Just like any other old man who hated video games and things of its likeness, teaching him to do literally anything else was going to be a difficult task.

I turned my attention to my own controls, scanning over each button to see what did what. It wouldn't take long before a microphone option came into my view. I struck it instantly, and began to speak.

"Testing, testing!"

I had no idea what else to say I just wanted to make sure I was getting the thing to work.

"Calhoun, Ralph... you guys! If you can hear me, duck for cover!"

My voice was really loud as it filtered through the mic unit in the tank, and outward into the world. Somebody would have to hear me. Based purely on faith I turned the canon towards the building, aiming at a corner and pulled the trigger. Again, both the shock wave and the blast was extreme, causing me to flail momentarily and blink my eyes. Once the shot had vanished completely, I saw I had pretty much destroyed the side of the building, allowing whoever was inside to exit.

Ducking, just like I had asked, was all my Program allies, and more. Calhoun was holding onto Felix and Vanellope, while Ralph, in return, was holding onto all of them. I saw Turbo behind them, standing with, to my surprise, Galen Marek (or better known as Starkiller) from the _Star Wars: Force Unleashed_ game and Master Chief from _Halo_.

"Felix, I need you to take Vanellope and Candyman and head to the eastern building across the way, and get my brother, and Steven! Get out of here now!" I commanded this quickly, and without hesitation. I knew the blast would cause a stir in the Cy-bug's already wild state. "Calhoun, Ralph... and you guys!" I pointed my finger towards the other two, even though they couldn't see me due to me being in the tank. "You help me defend the military vehicles and civilian buses!"

Felix took Vanellope and Turbo, and quickly started running towards the eastern building to retrieve Steven and Dannen, while Calhoun and Ralph stood up, taking stance beside Galen and John-117. They all looked up to me, taking my request to heart; I could see the realization that a fight was inevitable grow in their eyes. It was only when Calhoun grabbed the _Hero's Duty_ riffle on her back, and prepped it for loading, did she finally say something.

"You heard her, ladies! It's time we start fighting these monsters like the warriors we were programmed to be!" She raised a single fist high into the air. "For the Users!"

"For the Users!" the other three yelled in unison. I took the rebel yell as a go, and motioned to Aaron to begin driving towards the convoy. Although we were slow, Calhoun led the others ahead, instantly beginning to fend off the Cy-bugs that had thought to dive downward during the ordeal of getting everybody out.

While Aaron and I started catching up with this massive sized tank, I watched as they began to fight. Calhoun and Ralph seemed to work in a pair back to back. Ralph's powerful hands on their own would instantly dissipate the Cy-bugs as he punched, and slammed them together, while Calhoun's expert shots took them down like flickers of lightning. Master Chief had a good mixture of both physical combat and weapons at his disposal, maneuvering through the swarms that came down on the convoy like it was nothing. Galen though, wielding his twin sapphire lightsabers, had to be my favorite. He made the fight look like a dance as he jumped in the air and spun around, taking down Cy-bugs left from right as if it was routine. I started fangirling briefly, imagining how awesome it would be if I could meet other characters from the Star Wars universe, and maybe even get a chance to learn how to use a lightsaber myself.

However, those dreams had to be put on hold.

Once I was close enough to the fight, I began to pull the trigger again, this time allowing shots to be faster in between reloads. The Goliath was slow in its fire, but when it did, the wait was worth it.

Like a pro I shot down Cy-bug after Cy-bug, left from right, and each one that decided to come into my line of fire would soon no longer exist. The only downside about the Goliath was I couldn't raise the canon up or down, so by these standards my line of fire was limited to what was on the ground. Once this fight began to pick up, and we were able to hold some of the Cy-bugs back, was when we allowed the convoy to begin driving off towards the main freeways for escape. Though as I shifted my eyes from the battlefield, and back to my radar, this let up wasn't as glorifying as it looked.

There were still Cy-bugs everywhere. It would literally take a giant blast to kill them all. I didn't know what else to do at this point but continue to fire, so that's what I did. Canon shot after canon shot, recoil after recoil, I gave the situation everything I had. Fear itself didn't return to my heart until another stat appeared on the holograms around me.

" _Ammo depleted..."_ the pre-programmed voice enforced what I saw on the left hand corner of the hologram. I hadn't been paying attention, and as a result the ammo icon was now red, with a big ugly fat zero next to it.

"What did that thing say?!" Aaron yelled urgently. "Was it talking about us?!"

"We're out of ammo!" I gasped out loud and through the speaker, allowing the others to become aware of the situation. However, because of my cease of fire, the Cy-bugs took the opportunity to jump at my time of weakness.

One landed right in front of the canon, and started to eat it. I screamed as the hard rock program music began to shuffle and static, and in its place the violent sound of metal being ground down began to scrape at my eardrums.

The Cy-bug kept on going, however. It ate and ate, and once the canon was gone it started to eat the tank itself. It would only take a matter of moments before it broke through the armor and got to me and Aaron inside.

"What the hell!?" Aaron yelled. I knew what he was taking about, though. The Cy-bug, that continued to devour the tank little by little, was getting bigger. It was changing. Seconds went by and I saw the moderate sized Cy-bug grow larger and larger, until its mouth was three times the size of the tank itself, and growing. As it ate it took on more of the Goliath's traits: I saw a large canon grow on its back and its armor begin to transform into the same material that once made up the Goliath itself. At one point I couldn't even see its face anymore through the hologram because it had gotten so big; I was now looking into its mouth as if staring into the eyes of a galaxy itself. The many gears inside it, glowing green with energy, became more vast and deep as a tunnel-like effect took place, transforming my world to resemble that of a nightmare. The back of the Cy-bugs mouth started getting further and further away, changing to match that with the mechanics of the tank.

Suddenly then, what was left of the Goliath I stood in, ripped in half.

Aaron fell forward first, grabbing a hold of the handles of the controls to hold on as long as he could. The Cy-bug had its head leaned back now, and was waiting for whatever was left of the tank to fall back into its throat. I felt gravity come over me as the Cy-bug shifted, and I hung on as hard as I could to the controls around me to keep me from falling forward.

"Aaron!" I screamed. "What do we do?!"

Aaron ignored me, however. I could see pure concentration fill his gaze as he looked down at the glowing emerald pit beneath him. It was the kind of concentration someone had when all other options had been lost; it was the concentration of escape, distress and fear.

I suddenly felt the pit of my stomach tighten and my heart begin to race. We were so high up with the ultimate drop of falling into this things mouth. Once its mouth was big enough, we would fall in—we would fall in, and that would be it.

"We need to let go!" Aaron yelled. "We need to let go now!"

"Wh—what?!" I gasped. "Are you _crazy_?!"

"Do it now!" Aaron repeated. I saw his finger shuffle on his grip as he prepped himself. I felt my heart thud once more, realizing that this man was literally about to let himself fall into this Goliath-sized monsters mouth. I felt like screaming, pleading him to stop what he was about to do, but the words wouldn't come. It was after a few moments of his prep, that he let go.

I saw him fall briefly. My mind waited for him to fall down to the back of the Cy-bug's throat and instantly be grounded up by the thousands of mechanisms that would digest him, but he didn't. He fell a few yards and then landed on a large platform that once used to be a part of the tank itself that had been stuck at the side of the Cy-bug's massive jaws.

"Jump! What are you, dense?!" Aaron urgently fussed back.

Without a moment of hesitation, I jumped. It only took an instant for me to hit the platform, however, the impact was harder than I anticipated, and my ankles gave out, causing a quick surge of pain to encase my legs. I struggled to sit up, only having a moment to pay attention to the impact, when Aaron grabbed me and took me against the wall with him, hugging the side of the metal platform just as what was left of the tank above us fell at that moment, screeching past us and down into the grinding throat. The Cy-bug's internal form shifted again with the rest of the Golitath tank having been eaten, revealing more platforms on all sides of the beast. Even far below, next to the throat at the right hand corner, was part of the canon mechanism that was on the Cy-bugs back sticking out due to its size.

"Hey! Hey, listen!" Aaron shook me, forcing me to look up at him, however the canon prep had been complete. The mechanism moved as I saw a bullet drop from the side, and feed it into the containment unit, and with a powerful blow, it fired.

The size of the canon and those bullets now were massive. They had to be at least the size of a school bus, and because of it, the sound of fire within the mouth of this beast was like listening to the crack of a thousand lightning bolts at once. I covered my ears, and attempted to recover from the sound wave, becoming disoriented and light as my feet started to shuffle around. For the first time in a long time, I felt like I wanted to faint.

I felt my body give in as sound vanquished from my senses, being replaced by that dreadful high pitched beep. Briefly, my world around me grew light to match that of how my body felt, though as if my body realized what was happening it came to again...

I was falling backward.

Aaron reacted instantly and grabbed hold of my arm, though now the situation of possibly falling to my death was evident again. The recoil of that canon fire was so powerful that Aaron wouldn't be able to hold onto me again if it happened. As much as I tried to believe that everything was going to be okay, I realized that today was the day I would face death face-to-face.

The old man continued to struggle as he hung onto me, and likewise I struggled to hold onto his arm. Although mentally I had accepted what was about to happen, my body continued to struggle, hanging for all it could and sending adrenaline through my veins as if a burst of strength would be enough to save me.

What was going to happen to the others? Was Dannen and Steven going to make it without me? I paused after I thought about these questions, diving into the possibilities of what was to come in the future of the real world. Of course Steven and Dannen would make it without me. They had the others to help them, and Steven was far smarter than I could ever imagine to be. Of course they didn't need me anymore. I had nothing to offer them. I wasn't a programming genius, or a strong warrior, heck I didn't even know how to heal people. I was worthless in every aspect of my being, and from that I knew the others would be okay without me. I wasn't necessary. I was expendable.

"Just let go," I stated, despite my body's fierce, and desperate attempt to stay alive. "Just let go, we're not going to make it out."

"Are you kidding me?" Aaron said. "We aren't going to give into these demons just like that! We will find a way out of here!"

"Look around you, there isn't a way out!" I yelled. "Besides, there is nothing else I can offer to help anyone. I'm done."

"No you're not!" Aaron defiantly replied. "Shut your little bitch mouth right on now! I am sick and tired of hearing you wining all the damned time! You started this here mess and you're going to fix it!"

"I can't fix anything!" I yelled, becoming irritable with the old man's comments. "Steven knows what he's doing, not me!"

"Bullshit! I seen you fix things! You fixed that man-bug monster, and turned him normal again! You literally just led those vida' game characters into battle! Heck, you endured weeks of ridicule from the likes of people like myself!" As Aaron talked his tone grew more sincere, but still held that fierceness to it that he always carried. "Nobody is worthless. I don't care if you sit your ass all day in an office, you are not worthless. And you, First User, are _not_ worthless."

My eyes shifted around his face, attempting to absorb what he had just said. I suddenly found myself at the beginning again, when I first met the others and was driving away from the city just after we got out of the arcade. I told myself I wasn't like them. I was convinced I would never be able to live up to their level. Vanellope, the prodigy racer; Felix, the guy who fixes everything he touches; Calhoun, the brave warrior and leader, and heck even Ralph, the guy who wrecks things. Then, I couldn't compare myself to them, not ever. But now, after hearing what Aaron had said, I had literally done everything they did. I raced a Light Cycle and a real race car, I helped Turbo out of his own pit, I led people into battle... I did all those things.

I found my gaze slip and my head begin to turn, looking behind me, down at the green and glowing throat of the Cy-bug that now held me captive. I focused on the mechanism below that held the large bullet that could go off at any second, and from its presence I realized just how lucky I was. I was in the perfect line of fire to attack the Cy-bug at an extremely weak point.

"What do you have on you?" I asked firmly.

"My granddaughter gave me this here grenade during the escape from the city." Aaron stated and gestured to his pocket. "It's one of them vida' game grenades like the one that tall blonde outside has."

"Take it out!" I gasped.

"I can't, I'm holding onto you!" he said. "You grab hold of it, you're young and agile still!"

Briefly I hesitated again. I wasn't the strongest of people, not by a long shot. In fact, despite my escalated work the past few weeks I felt tired, but I couldn't stop now. I had to try.

Putting all faith in Aaron to hold onto me, I released my right arm and stretched upward, grabbing the grenade in his pocket. After I had a hold of it, I pulled the switch with my teeth and tossed it behind me.

 _BOOM!_ It only took a second for the grenade itself to go off, but following was a shock wave of explosions that lined the canon itself. Fire suddenly engulfed the throat of the monster, and gravity fell back forward. The Cy-bug had toppled over and ground was now right before us just on the outside of the mouth of the monster.

"Hurry up!" Aaron yelled, continuing to hold onto my arm as we jumped from platform to platform, then ultimately toppled out of the Cy-bugs mouth. Once we were outside of it, Aaron continued to run with me. "Gotta find cover!" he yelled as we made ground, but despite our freedom we were to be met with one last explosion. I felt Aaron push me forward, and in front of one of the parked military vehicles, when suddenly, the Goliath Cy-bug blasted into smithereens.

The finishing blast toppled me to the ground. I took cover, and held my head in my arms, feeling the force of the eruption dissipate into the air. The sides of my eyes caught a glimpse of the explosion, though for the most part the eruption itself had gone sky born, consuming hundreds of Cy-bugs with it. Even after the initial explosion, the fire that remained, reaching into the clouds, caught the attention of other Cy-bugs that would have had their sights on me or the civilians.

"Aaron!" I called. "Aaron, where are you? We did it!" I felt a surge of joy overcome me after waiting for minutes for the situation to die down. "We did it! We can get out of here!"

I lifted myself slowly from my still position, and to my feet, peeking from behind the vehicle to see if I could find Aaron hiding somewhere. However, my hopeful sights were met with Aaron lying on the ground, covered in blood.

For a brief moment I physically could not breathe. It was as if the earth had gone still, and time itself slowed down. Lying there, his breathing was rough and tortuous as if every single heave was a struggle. His limbs convulsed, causing the puddle of dark red to thicken around him, and spread.

"No— _no, no no no no_!" I chanted as I scuffled towards him, ultimately landing on my knees about a foot and a half beside him. "Aaron! Aaron, no! Can you hear me?" In an instant the tides had turned again.

He wasn't talking, just gasping for breath. I looked down and saw that his abdomen had been struck from about his belly button upwards. A large shard from within the Cy-bug had dived into him from the blast, cutting him nearly down the middle, though due to the Cy-bugs death it's pixel shards remained in his body like glass scraping his insides as he breathed. Portions of his face had received burns from the direct explosion itself with no cover.

"G—g-g..." He tried speaking but his voice came out in gurgles, I saw his eyes start to flicker backwards, his head bobbing back and forth, as his lungs continued to try and suck air. I saw his disoriented face began to become lopsided, his mouth remaining open as what was left of his ability to speak to me, let alone think for himself, was replaced with his bodies last attempts to keep him alive.

It was like watching a fish out of water, gasping and struggling for breath on a hot boat deck under a burning sun, with no hope of rain or even the ocean's edge just out of reach beyond the ship's bow.

My eyes couldn't make up their mind on what they wanted to look at as they tried shifting away to the side, but even then the sound of his painful gasps of air called me back to stare at the face being penetrated and consumed by death. I tried closing my eyes then, tightly, as I prayed silently. Even under my closed lids my mind spat out flashes of images: stars and galaxies far away, a rising and setting sun and even the soft pat of a rivers edge against a deck, all mixing and mashing together, attempting and struggling to make sense of what death really was. In those split seconds I saw the whole world, and yet, was only able to return to this dying man in front of me, still unable to make sense of what was to come of his absent contentiousness.

His breathing, slowly, began to subside, and then within a moment he was motionless.

It took me time, but once the realization of what happened came over me I fell backwards on my bottom, and continued to stare. I held all the sadness, confusion and fear in the world, and yet not a single tear escaped my eyes. I was dumbfounded, shocked, breathless even, like he was moments before.

"Granddad!" I heard Rachel's voice pelt through the smoked air, this barely tearing me from my glued gaze onto Aaron's beaten and lifeless face. After a few seconds I heard running footsteps of a group, and then suddenly, silence.

"Granddad?" Rachel's voice had become soft. I didn't look up, but I listened to her footsteps slowly creep up behind me and past me, ultimately Rachel appearing directly beside the body of her grandfather, and falling into his puddle to wrap her arms around his darkened form. "Granddad! No! you can't really be gone! YOU CAN'T!" The woman, whose entire structure had been built on staying strong and hardened, cracked right in front of me. She began to wail, allowing her head to bury itself in her granddad's shirt. "You can't be gone! You're not dead, YOU'RE NOT DEAD!"

I felt a hand sit on my shoulder, then another one on my back, moving together to lift me to my feet. I found my ankle that had been hit prior, suddenly pound on my legs, causing me to stumble and fall against Calhoun who had come to help me up. But even then, realizing that I myself was in pain, it wasn't enough to take my mind off of what was happening in front of me.

"He's getting cold!" Rachel wailed. "He's cold! No, granddad, you're not gone!"

"He is gone," Calhoun stated, though for once her tone drenched in sympathy. "He's already gone."

Rachel laid on top of her granddad for a few moments longer, her crying and sobbing still evident but growing more controlled. She didn't turn her head, but she lifted from her lowly state, and spoke. "You need to go," she said rather bitterly. "Do _not_ let his death be in vain."

I stood there with Calhoun, motionless for an instant before she helped to turn me around. Once turned I noticed that Ralph was standing there, along with Galen and John who had helped in the fight.

"Ralph, would you take her, please?" Calhoun asked, gesturing to me who had been unknowingly leaning, and hanging on her the entire time.

"Wait—" Galen spoke up, extending his hand out to us to stop us, and then reached to his side to take out a third lightsaber that was hanging along his belt. "This is Jedi Master Shaak Ti's lightsaber from my game. She... didn't make it out either. But I want you to have her lightsaber. It will help you in your travels." Galen keeled down respectfully and hung the lightsaber on my violet racing belt, and then stood back again. "John-117 and I will stay behind with Rachel and continue to evacuate and care for the refugees and military personnel."

"Good luck to you, First User. Remember, we'll always be fighting for you," Master Chief added.

"And may the Force be with you," Galen finished.

From their words they took a step around us to aid Rachel, while I turned my attention back to Calhoun and Ralph. The big guy did as Calhoun had asked and took me, laying me in his large hands to carry me to safety. Once I was situated, Calhoun motioned to Ralph to begin walking with her. Due to Ralph's size, once we turned, my sight of what was left of the military base was blocked. I could only listen to the Cy-bugs that remained hovering around the cracking flames, until a canopy of trees took us under its cover once more.


	16. The Cave (Part 1).(jpeg)

Although the thick treetops had masked the military base I could still smell the smoke that radiated from the explosion site. This smoke, as powerful as it was, clashed against my nostrils, carrying with it the smell of oils and tossed up dirt. Among the forest, and around the trunks of the surrounding oak trees and cedars, a fog had taken form from the remaining fires, making what space around Calhoun, Ralph and I, harder to see.

I didn't bother to move my head as Ralph carried me. Keeping my eyes focused on the tree tops above, I listened to Calhoun take out her communication radar and begin clicking in a series of codes. After a few beeps was when our quiet procession through the forest halted.

"Steven? Steven, can you hear me?" Calhoun spoke aloud. "We just evacuated the military base. Did you make it out?"

"Yeah, yeah we did." The sound of Steven's voice brought a sense of relief to the group, but only briefly. "We're all here waiting for you guys. Just head northwest from the military base; we've got the vehicle and everything."

"Good!" Calhoun answered. "Stay put, we're coming up on you guys quickly." Calhoun turned around and waved a hand at Ralph, signaling him to begin picking up the pace. Only after a few moments did we go from a cautious stroll to a run, making ground quickly to meet up with the others. "Those Cy-bugs aren't going to be distracted for much longer." Calhoun added to the already bad situation. "We need to make ground fast or else there's no way we're going to outrun them."

"The explosion diverted a handful of them, are you sure they'd still be on our tail at this point?" Ralph asked. "Not to mention a lot were killed just now."

"So what!" Calhoun spat back. "Do you seriously think that a single dose of napalm is going to be enough to kill enough to stop them? Right now those things are more dangerous than they have ever been! Without Candy Freak acting as their leader they've reverted back to their basic programming, and do you know what that means?"

"Kill, eat and multiply." Ralph said, in a-matter-of-fact way, and with a little bit of sarcasm. "Yeah, I know. "

"Exactly!" Calhoun spat out louder than anticipated. "Which means we gotta move, for as long, and far as we can. That address in California is going to take us days to get to at this point, maybe even longer. We can't waste any more time."

"Ralph!" Vanellope's voice pierced through the fog like a needle, causing Calhoun to stop briefly, and turn towards the sound of her voice. It didn't take long until we saw the others waiting for us just like Steven had said.

"Bloody hell! What happened to her?" Steven exclaimed first upon seeing me being carried. It was only with his outburst did I turn my head to look at him, who beside Steven was my brother, who remained silent and wide-eyed the entire time.

I was, however, allowed to remain silent as Calhoun spoke up on my behalf. "She was involved in the explosion. There was... one casualty. However, I can update you on the situation once we're a safe distance from the facility. Let's move! Quick!"

From Calhoun's command everybody shifted around and took their place among the truck as it was beforehand. I was set inside the truck's backseat once more with Steven, Dannen and Turbo, then with a quick trigger of the ignition Calhoun took us onward. The trees, although still very much thickly placed among us, did not hinder Calhoun as she drove, taking us further and further from the military base with every passing second. However, as quickly as we were going, the remains of the fog lingered, causing distortion in what we could see.

"Calhoun..." Steven said aloud as he continued to mess with his Omni-Tool. "I'm still picking up signals of Cy-bugs on our tail."

"Dammit!" Calhoun exploded with irritation. Instead of another set of verbal spitfire Calhoun stepped on the gas. "How close are they?"

Before Steven could speak the sound of hums encased the air once again. Looking over beside Steven, I could see a look of sheer terror encase his expression. "They're right on us!"

Calhoun kept heading straight for the time being, pressing down on the gas pedal and zooming across and around the forest as if she knew it like the back of her hand. If I had not known any better I would have mistaken her for a professional racer too, though I suppose being a space marine comes with the ability to drive well anyway.

"Are there any unusual landmarks? Anything at all?" Calhoun asked then.

"Yes..." Steven muttered. "There is the highway about a mile to our right."

"No, we can't lead more Cy-bugs to the highway, that's where the civilians are."

"Okay, well... there's a cavern ahead. That's considered unusual, right?"

"Yes!" Calhoun spat out again. She took a tight right turn, causing everyone in the vehicle to flail momentarily, then set her sights on the road once more. "Where is the entrance?"

"Keep heading this way and then take another left after about one-hundred yards," Steven answered softly. I could hear the concern in his voice returning, especially after the tight turn we had all just taken.

The truck shifted violently with its turns in order to gather distance from the oncoming Cy-bugs, though instead of taking it this time through a series of screams or cries I instead attempted to cadge all the held-up up emotion I had inside myself. I could feel that aching panic try and return, mixing in with memories of what had just happened like plopping rotten wood into a fire. With a straight and tired face, I carried myself upward, attempting to stay calm as the others kept their eyes glued forward and on the windshield, hoping that the cavern Steven had mention would come into sight soon.

"There!" Steven cried, his voice like an alarm that pulled me out of my trance. Calhoun reacted instantly, turning the truck and allowing us to dive towards the cavern. As the rocky walls overcame us, the little daylight that had once filtered above us was blotted out like thick clouds with an oncoming storm. With the sudden darkness, the headlights could only momentarily see a pillar of stone in front of us before the front of the vehicle smashed into it, causing the truck to stall instantly on impact, along with flinging everyone in the truck forward. I clutched the seat-belt around me, still in shock as Calhoun, despite what had just happened, flung herself out of the truck.

"Dammit!" she yelled. "Everyone get out of the truck!"

Her sudden words only pulled me slightly from my state of shock, though after watching everyone struggle out of the truck, I realized the sound of crumbles and rocks falling overcome the cavern. It took a moment for me to react; sitting there for those brief few moments before I could have been crushed, my mind continued to flash images before me, like crackles of a flame or pops of popcorn in a microwave. It was almost as if, yet again, despite my circumstances, I wanted to retreat from the real world.

Upon realizing how I was acting in the face of danger I heard the sound of my mothers voice echo from a distant memory, scolding my father about how fast he clicked the channel when something bad was about to happen. "I can just click all the bad things away!" I heard his response echo in my mind. "Like that girl from that movie about dinosaurs' says, 'let no bad happen'!"

Of course I knew this was pathetic. Of course I knew you couldn't click away your problems. But right here and now, I honestly wish I could.

With a sudden movement that took time to release like a spring, I dashed from my seat, and jumped to the ground, joining the others in their state of confusion. The first thing I noticed upon jumping out of the truck was the continual sound of boulders crumbling above us.

"Get out of the way, go for cover!" Calhoun yelled, causing everyone to scatter. In a sudden surge of desperation, Steven, my brother, Calhoun and Vanellope scurried over to the left of the truck, while Ralph, Turbo and Felix ran towards the right. In an instantaneous decision, I decided to follow the later, hearing the wall of stone above us come crashing down, and blot out the daylight from beyond.

Within a second, I found we were surrounded in darkness, with only the horrific sound of falling rocks and boulders, being caved in—buried alive, now proposing itself as a new obstacle. I felt some pebbles hit my back, and dust fill my nostrils, but otherwise I waited for potential pain as my arms stretched out in the dark without nothing sturdy to grab.

Once the earth settled and my senses did also, I was able to see but a small skylight above me. From that little light, I could see both the entrance, and the side of the cavern where Dannen, Calhoun, Steven and Vanellope once was, was now completely cut off. Among me, I saw Turbo and Felix standing aside, while Ralph lay unconscious on the ground. This sight caused Felix to show more concern than normal, as he gasped loudly.

"Ralph!" he yelled. "Brother! Oh jeez, no!" He ran over to his friend, checking over Ralph's face, and arms to make sure he was all right. Upon watching Felix inspect Ralph, a sigh overcame him. "He's alive..." was his initial response to the situation, "but he's not awake, that's for sure."

"Why?" Turbo responded irritably as he huffed a few times from the run. "I've never seen that halitosis filled balloon actually pass out before! I've seen him take worse falls than that!"

"He's probably tired... We are all." Felix remained beside Ralph, even facing away from us, thus hiding his face, becoming filled with more emotion and expression, regardless.

The dark cavern became quiet again once our voices settled and the remaining smaller rocks ceased to fall. From above though, I could hear the faint hum of the Cy-bugs. They had passed us over from our fall into the cave. But at what cost? We were trapped.

My mind began to skim around again, panicking, worrying, trying to think ahead when it was already burnt out. We were trapped in a cave, separated from the others, not knowing who else survived, with our strongest member of the team knocked out to boot. It was only the sound of a click from the ground—a ring— did I again break form potential panic. It was a _Hero's Duty_ comlink, like Calhoun's. Somebody must have dropped it upon the scatter.

Without much hesitation I dove at the com-link as if it I was a starving person going for the last piece of bread. Even my thumb slammed down on the answer button harshly, I already in heavy anticipation to hear a familiar voice from one of the others.

"Hello?!" I said loudly at first, but calmed myself after a few huffs. "Whose there? Are you guys okay?"

"We're all alive," Calhoun answered on the other line. "I was worried that com-link was lost in the rocks but I'm glad it found its way to you instead." She paused momentarily, allowing me to hear the voices of the others in the background with her. "Are you all alive?"

"Yes," I said, "but Ralph's unconscious."

"Damnit," Calhoun spat out. "In that case we're going to have to find each other the old fashioned way. The com-link you're holding is also a radar. On the screen you can set it to begin mapping the territory, however, you can only map a certain distance. You need to try and meet us somewhere else in the cave, and then we'll backtrack to find Ralph. We'll think of a way out of here once we're all together."

"You mean... you want me to go off alone in here?" I muttered.

"What?" Calhoun answered loudly, not catching it.

"Nothing..." I answered more sternly. "I'll find you."

I closed off the communication then and turned around to face Felix and Turbo. Felix, who was still sitting beside Ralph, had turned to listen to the conversation I had just had with his wife. A look of relief seemed to fill his eyes to know that she was okay. However, a new conundrum was present now in our situation.

"I need to stay here with Ralph," Felix admitted. "If he's really hurt and he wakes up I need to be here."

"I understand," I responded sincerely, or at least as sincerely as I could knowing that that was one less person I was going to venture off into the unknown without. "Turbo, looks like you're going to have to come with me. If we work together maybe we can find the others faster." Despite just offering to take Turbo with me, I was still nervous. Who knows what was in this place, especially with more programs out there than I had initially realized.


	17. The Cave (Part 2).(jpeg)

What minimum light that managed to peer down the small skylight above the rocks became dimmer, as Turbo and I ventured deeper into the cave. I could hear small droplets of water somewhere around us begin to replace what sound was left over from a breeze that whistled through the stones. The transition was so subtle between light to dark that if I had not been paying much attention, losing track of my footing, and my way, would have become an easy reality. I began to question how it was even possible to get out of here, though. With Ralph unconscious at the entrance, we didn't have a means to move the boulders out of the way that now trapped us. On top of it, making progress was vital to our plans at this point. It would only be a matter of time before the Cy-bugs would begin to spread further into the real word. There was only so much that could be done by the human military, and handful of game characters that were holding the swarms back.

My mind began to shift through ideas. On my person, I had three game-items: the Light Cycle, one of Calhoun's communicators, and the lightsaber that was given to me during the Goliath battle. As I walked, I would take out the lightsaber, and ignite the blue blade to light our way. I kept the com-link in my other hand as a means to keep an eye on the radar that began to generate a map of the cavern as we walked. I could not see far ahead on the radar, but I hoped as we made progress I could get a better view of what the place looked like—and if there was even a way out.

"It's too quiet in here…" I muttered, attempting to break the silence that seemed to smother me. Turbo was walking next to me, awfully quiet himself. I admit, I was a little nervous with the idea of being alone with him, but I had to try. I wasn't one to back down from my word; since promising that I'd keep an eye out on him, it was essential at this point to act as a shield, of the sorts, to keep the gang intact. I had not freed Turbo from the confines of that Cy-bug coding for him to just run off. There was just too much at stake if I were to accidentally loose him to the Cy-bugs again.

But among my worries of those things, I also worried about _how_ this assimilation would work. He had been the enemy for so long that not only was it going to be hard for everyone else to get used to him, but for Turbo to come to terms with it as well. While he was small, I didn't know if he'd pull a fast one at any minute to take advantage of the situation. It was kinda like having to keep your eyes on two different targets… if one were to slip, it would be hard to keep the other in line, too. It felt like I was juggling more than I could handle.

"Turbo, I know things are a little… well, awkward, right now…" I started to speak; I felt like it was a good opportunity to try and soothe what hostility he might be carrying now that we were alone.

"Oh, it'th's not awkward…" Turbo responded, but his response had that twinge of cockiness in it that he had before when he was trying to kidnap me in the truck. "I don't mind. Being with you alone, and all."

I was so glad it was dark, because I felt my face fluster red. "I was _talking_ about how you felt about the others." I had to control the tone of my voice from coming off as to irritable. "Like, I know you guys aren't really on the best of terms."

"Oh, _them_ ," Turbo huffed. "What of it?"

"I don't know what happened between you, Vanellope and Ralph, and all, but desperate times call for desperate measures."

"It's a long story."

"How so?"

"It was a long time ago… you wouldn't care to know."

"What if I did?"

Turbo got quiet for a minute. I found I couldn't help but look from my view ahead, and over at him. The blue light highlighted his features, even ironically adding some emotion to what he must have been feeling. Even in his King Candy persona, as bubbly as an appearance as it should have been, it couldn't mask his inner turmoil. His fluffy, grey eyebrows were curving upwards into an uncomfortable furrow, as a grimace of what I could tell was a mixture of anger and melancholy took over his expression. In his eyes I could sense he was shifting through thoughts.

"What do you say to a _human_?" Turbo began, as if he was trying to test the waters with me. "Honestly, up until this whole thing, it would have been going against the program to talk to someone like you."

I remained silent as we walked, listening.

"You may have heard of my game before. My original game…" Turbo's voice sounded strained, but he was hiding it very well. " _TurboTime_ was in all respects, _my_ kingdom. Back when the arcade was mostly new, my game was all the gamers talked about. I loved being the center of attention… what Program _wouldn't_ want to be adored by humans?"

I could tell he was getting to a point, but he was hesitating. I said, "Of course…" as a way to push him along.

He side-eyed me for a second before he continued, saying then, "But… soon _TurboTime_ wouldn't be the only racing game around."

I knew this story. Calhoun and the others had mentioned it quite eloquently before. But small details are missed in hearsay. Everyone could tell the same story in millions of different ways, and yet how Turbo was telling it you could hear the story in his voice as if you were looking at history through a book that could speak. Yes, it was the same old story of _going Turbo_. The story of how he left his game to venture into another, and take it over. But it was also a story of what happens to Programs when they are denied the one thing they are made for. It was a story of what happens to a living soul being separated from its creators.

I started to feel a pit in my stomach as he talked. I knew I wasn't directly responsible for what happened to him. Of course I wasn't. I wasn't a programmer, let alone a programmer that made video games, but I was a human, nonetheless. How is it that the human race had gone this long without realizing something so important?

"Turbo…" I spoke up, making sure my voice was as gentle as possible. At first I didn't know what to say, exactly. I wasn't about to excuse his actions of course… many Programs must've suffered from what he had done. Hell, _I_ had suffered among the domino effect of his choices. There was so much destruction in his wake it was so obvious why fear and hatred followed wherever Turbo went. To say that the Cy-bug was a manifestation of all that anger would have been more than just a metaphor. Everything that had happened to him up to this point had fallen on the inadequacy of those who unknowingly brought Programs to life. If it were known that computer codes and commands were literal acts of creation… then maybe things would have been different.

His torment was an easy fuel to his hatred. How do you console something _beyond_ your own understanding?

"If I could take away what happened to you, I would," I said. "Human beings, many of them you could say, don't realize how surreal life is. If you could imagine the entire human race blindfolded, I would say that's a pretty good visual for how we are."

I began to imagine my own life… the mundane things that didn't mean anything. I visualized how in the wake of all things that life threw at me, for some reason, it was the most trivial— _unimportant_ things that took over my life. It was the grind of school, work, and meeting standards. It was the giving and never taking. The real world had created a void around me, forcing me to look at life through a narrow tunnel of going, but never returning.

"Sometimes I wondered how to take the blindfold off. Sometimes I wondered if it's even _possible_ to open your eyes after you've been in the dark for so long." I felt shame as I said this. Like millions of others, I was not exempt from this way of life. _'Put your head down, and just do it,'_ they'd say. And if you couldn't? Be left behind.

My shame would slowly start to grow into anger. A world that couldn't see was bound to fall. Even if I hadn't known beforehand that the Shiva Laser would have unleashed chaos into the world, perhaps it was for a reason. The veil had opened our eyes. Sooner or later, our parallel worlds would have had to collide. If it had not, who knows if humanity would have ever have woken up.

It had gotten quiet in the cave. I soon found we had completely stopped walking. I had been so deep in thought that I hadn't even seen the darkness of the cave intensify. The blue lightsaber cast it's light around me, but just enough to where the outlines of the rocks surrounding us became illuminated with the glow.

It was among my observation, however, that I began to take notice of how different the cavern looked way back here. Unlike the natural curves and twists of the main tunnel, here there looked like a giant passage had been dug through the solid rock. It was obviously not natural, as scattered around the floor were thousands of small pebbles, and rocks, and dust that had looked to have just recently settled.

Looking down at the _Hero's Duty_ radar and com-link, I took notice of an array of tunnels among us. However, among the many passageways hidden just out of sight, the radar expressed a single orange dot among the cavern. I felt my heart skip momentarily as I began to comprehend that we were not alone down here.

"Errr… I got a bad feeling about this," I muttered, but this caught Turbo's attention. It took him a moment before he realized I was talking about the radar, and looked up to the image of the map that I held in my hand.

"A giant gerbil, maybe," Turbo said sarcastically, having taken notice of the large pathways cut into the rocks, too.

"Was there a game with gerbils in it at Litwaks?" I didn't recall any game about giant rats.

"Well… not that I can think of," Turbo admitted.

As we contemplated, a red light from above suddenly clashed with the hue of my blue lightsaber, the colors conflicting in the center and sending the cavern hall into a shade of purple. At first I was stunned, not quite processing exactly what was happening. However, as I looked toward the red light, I soon realized it was one giant red and glowing eye. The sound of a digital-like hum filled my ears as whatever it was seemed to stir, awakening from what had apparently become its new underground home.

At first I couldn't believe what I was seeing. In the dark cave it was difficult to process, but as I took in the fine details of the robotic monster that was before us, I soon realized it was a Hanmuru Doll Reaverbot as seen in the arcade version of _Megaman Legends_ that had been installed at Litwak's before the Shiva Laser incident. How on earth it had gotten this far away from the location of the portal was beyond me, but I justified it must've been the nature of distribution during the destruction of the laser itself, as it had proven to be able to do before with other instances like this.

"What is'th that thing?" Turbo asked, a bit confused and disturbed in its presence. I'm sure he was also getting used to be small again, so he was getting a taste of his own medicine with all these big bad guys.

"Shit, we need to get the hell out of here!" I exclaimed. I knew exactly what this freaking thing was. The Hanmuru Doll in its game was programmed to be a boss-type like Program, venturing through the underground world waiting for the player. It had two large arms, made specifically for smashing things, so it was no wonder it had managed to make itself an assortment of passages to mimic the underworld in its game.

The machine Program began to lift its massive arms in the air when I started to make a dash for it. I could hear its many feet begin to trample the floor as it moved itself to anticipate its procession after us. Playing the game, I knew that at any second it was going to start after us, so I was literally running for my life. I just hoped that Turbo was going to be able to keep up with me. He might be a racer in a kart, but I didn't know if he could run quickly enough.

It happened then, that the giant Reaverbot began to chase us. I felt like my eyes were about to fall out of my head I was so scared. Calhoun and the others weren't here to help attack it, so I felt like there was literally nothing I could do. Of course I had my lightsaber, but it was easy for someone like Starkiller to get close enough quickly to a bad guy without getting hit. Me? I might as well be dead if I attempted to fight this thing back.

As fast as I was running, it was gaining up on us, and although my ankle was no longer in throbbing pain, it was still sore. The sound of the Reaverbot's massive arms pulverized the ground as a way to attack, and the booming noises filled up the entire cavern with huge blasts, causing the rocks to shake and the floor to shatter as it made its way towards us.

I quickly felt Turbo grab my wrist, and yank me to the side. It happened so quickly, but the next thing I knew he had taken my lightsaber, shut it down, and pulled me somewhere into the dark, leaving the only thing to be seen the shine of the red light of the Reaverbot's one large eye. The Program would continue forward for a bit, hammering the ground with its arms, until it noticed we were no longer in its sight. Believing that we had vanished, the Program reverted into its dormant state, slowing down considerably, and then turned around to head back to its resting spot. The light from its red eye scanned over the large rock we were hiding behind like a spotlight until it finally made the turnaround; the slow walk of its massive footsteps could be heard as it went back the way it came at the end of the hall.

"Oh my God," I whispered, although my breath was heavy due to the sprint. Turbo still clung to my wrist, but other than that, it was pitch black to the point that I could barely see him. A red hue slightly lit the cavern room we were in, but from behind the rocks this was dimmed considerably to where only outer lines of objects could be seen.

"We can't use that light'thsaber or else that thing will know we're here," Turbo said. "Or move, for that matter."

"Shit, you're right," I responded, though as quietly as possible. "How the hell are we supposed to get out of here now? This stupid radar only shows me a few yards around the cave at a time—I had no idea there was something else in here."

"At least we don't have to go back to that halitosis imbic'thile and that brat," Turbo spat out irritably.

"How could you say that? You actually think its worse being in here with this monster than around the others?"

"Well duh… and besides, it's just me and you. It can't be that bad." I could hear Turbo chuckle.

"Would you stop with your infuriating flirting?!" My voice got a little too loud that time, so I paused, listening for the Reaverbot and if it had heard me. After a few seconds of listening, quietness lingered in the cave, giving me the signal that for now everything was still. "Look, you can hate them forever if you want to, but right now we have to stick together. I'm not some fancy space warrior, or whatever. I can't fight that thing, let alone a bunch of Cy-bugs by myself. We need the others to get to the original Shiva Laser, and that's going to be a long ass trip." I shivered at the thought of trying to make it all the way to California alone to get to this other arcade that, may or may not, house the machine Steven and Dannen had attempted to replicate.

"Yeah, but you are a User," Turbo said.

I didn't connect the dots at first, but I soon realized he was complementing me; a complement that really meant something in midst of the situation we were currently in.

Of course, I was a _User_. Being a gamer wasn't just pushing buttons, and watching a character move on the screen. Playing video games took concentration, calculations, and planning. Sure you had a few gamers who pressed buttons like crazy, but there were times where button-mashing didn't quite cut it. That time was now.

Despite being really and truly in the face of danger, I focused my thoughts on pretending this was a videogame. I imagined myself as a character: what could I do? I had some items on me, so I had to utilize what I had. However, I also had a goal in mind. We were in this cave in the first place because we were trapped. Our only help out would be Ralph's strength, but he was out cold. Going further into the cave was futile, as it had been claimed by the Reaverbot.

"We gotta lead that thing to the front, and break down the rocks," I whispered aloud. I put my hands to my chin in thought, attempting to weigh the odds.

"We could barely outrun it before, you kidding?" Turbo responded.

"It's gone back to its starting point…which means we have some space in between us. If we go fast enough then we should be able to make it to the front of the cave before it gets us. We haven't been walking for long, so it's not too far." I paused for a second, my mind having already been made up. I was scared shitless but it was the only plan I could come up with, and what else were we supposed to do? I wasn't going to be trapped in this cave forever, and if an opportunity was going to reveal itself like this, as dangerous as it was, I was going to take it. "Do you trust me or not?" I asked Turbo then, after I had gone through all the scenarios.

"I gue'thss," Turbo admitted, although rather reluctantly. Whether or not he actually did or not, or if he was just mad about having to go back out to face the others, was beyond the point at that time.

"Okay, give me the lightsaber."

"Why?"

"Do _you_ want to get the Reaverbots attention?"

"Not exactly."

"Well hand it over then, Shortcake!"

The lightsaber hit my palm then, no questions asked. I felt a smile coming over my expression due to the irony. It was funny how Turbo acted so cocky, but at the same time knew his boundaries. I guess it was taking him getting used to his size again. In a way it was interesting getting to know the real Turbo, and not some giant King Candybug guy.

"I'm going to pull a _Jurassic Park_ , and get it to come after me," I explained. "You can stay here like a pussy, or you can run with me. Up to you."

"What's _a Jarath'ssic Park_? Ugh—Nevermind! I'm not th'staying in here alone, are you kidding?"

"Okay, then on my count we run out in front of it. I'll turn on the lightsaber, get its attention, then we'll have to run back towards the entryway we arrived in." I lowered the radar down to where both of us could see it, trailing my finger over the path we needed to run.

After I made clear of our track was when I diverted my finger to begin initiating contact with Calhoun. I hoped by alerting them to the situation that they would be on the outside to be prepared for all this.

"What's happening?" Calhoun's voice immediately responded.

"Okay, so I have some good news and bad news." I tried breaking the ice softly.

"What the blazes happened, it hasn't even be thirty minutes!"

"Shhh! Keep it down. Listen, there's a Program in here. A giant Program. It tried to kill us, but we're fine… look I have a plan and need you on the other side of the rocks where the truck is."

"Seems like we can't catch a break!" Calhoun huffed. "All right, what do we have to deal with?"

"It's a Reaverbot… it will be strong enough to break down the rocks, so I'm going to lead it on over. Once it breaks out the other side I need you to take it down. It will keep acting on its programming, and attack us if we don't stop it."

"Ah, I've heard about those things… Okay, civilian, we're on it. Meet you there." The line was cut then. It was time we made our move, and this time I was determined to get out. My heart started to race, however, before I even moved my feet.

"Okay, let's go Turbutt," I said quickly, then darted as fast as I could. I heard Turbo grumble as if he wanted to say something, but the second we started running he found he didn't have time to respond. Despite our dire circumstances I couldn't' help but chuckle. It was almost too easy to tease him.

The second we were in the center of the hall, I ignited the lightsaber. Again, the blue light shed against the Reaverbots red eye, clashing together like strobe lights and giving a hue to the cave. I began waving the lightsaber in the air next, its movement making the iconic buzzing sounds as it swayed back and forth.

"Hey, yeah you!" I yelled. I didn't have to say or do much else at that point. Once the Reaverbot saw me, its glowing red eye got brighter, and it lifted steadily from its stationary position as its legs began to move. Those odd robotic-like sounds began to echo in the cavern hall as it positioned itself for only a brief moment, but after it settled, and before launching into the cave, a growing and eerie silence took over one last time.

Before it even started running after us, I had already taken off. Turbo was following my pace with ease, despite his small stature, and we made ground quickly across the cavern. I instantaneously heard the Reaverbot crashing through the cave after us then; with every hit it gave, the ground shook, causing me to have to concentrate on my footing harder than normal as to not trip.

As it slowly began to gain on us, that's when I saw the boulder-covered entryway. Laying to the side still was Ralph, with Felix next to him. The second he saw us turn the corner, though, was when he became alerted.

"Jimminy, Jamminy, is that what's causing that commotion?!" Felix hollered with worry.

I didn't really have time to respond to him, of course. All I could do was swat my arm that held the lightsaber back and forth, and scream, "Stand back!"

I felt my legs were beginning to wobble the closer we got to the edge. I was anticipating the moment I would dart to the side to allow the Reaverbot to rampage onward, destroying the rocks. I just hoped that Calhoun and the others were ready for this once that happened.

A few yards before we reached the rocks, I darted with Turbo to the side, and like I had foreseen, the Reaverbot continued and began to slam its large metal arms into the rocks. I covered my head and ducked, seeing the boulders quickly begin to disintegrate, sending stones and shards flying everywhere from the violent impact. Slowly, more light would filter into the room as the blockage was chipped away, soon, and with another giant blast, the Reaverbot breaking free and into the outside world.

The instant it peered to the outside was when Calhoun began to blast her _Hero's Duty_ rifle at it.

I took the opportunity then to run over towards Ralph and Felix. Looking down at the wrecker, it seemed he was still out, but this time I could see his eyes shifting underneath his eyelids. All the commotion was bound to wake him up at any second.

"Is he always this dense?" I asked Felix with concern.

"Yeah, it's hard to wake him up…even if he were just sleeping, that is," Felix admitted. I hope in this instance that statement was wrong, though.

Looking back over toward the entrance, Calhoun was fighting the Reaverbot. I saw Dannen, Vanellope, and Steven back off towards the sides, watching in amazement as the Sergeant maneuvered out of the way of the massive hits the boss Program sent her way. It was only a matter of time before I could tell the Reaverbot was running low on life-points. Slowing down considerably, once its gauge must've hit zero, the Reaverbots large arms dropped at its sides, and it fell backwards. However, before it hit the ground, it exploded, the feeling of the blast sending heat around it as a rush of hot air spilled over me and the others in the cave.

After I adjusted my gaze after the explosion, I again took notice that it itself had also shattered. Many of the glass-like shards of pixelated material were spread around the ground, indicating it had been defeated permanently, in addition to this some life-cubes and refractor shards that these boss-type Programs and in-game enemies would drop upon defeat.

"Ah, it's a shame…" Calhoun muttered, allowing her rifle to express smoke from its barrel as she stood looking down at the pixels. Maybe it wasn't quite a sentient Program, but it was till a Program, nonetheless.

"Guys!" I hollered, waving my hand to get their attention. Looking through the rubble and smoke, I could see everyone was okay.

"Is Ralph okay?" Vanellope asked next. The group began to converge in the cave, everyone looking down at Ralph. Luckily he was beginning to mutter, which indicated he would be with us at any time. In the meanwhile, I knew what was going to happen next: we had to figure out a way to keep moving.

"All right, ladies, we need to think of next steps," Calhoun said on que. "That truck isn't going to fix itself."

"What do you suggest, we don't have any spare parts," Dannen pointed out. I could tell he was a bit unsure how we were going to get out of this new conundrum of not having a vehicle. I couldn't help but cringe at just the thought of walking it out again.

"Felix, I wonder if it's possible to fix the truck with your skills," Calhoun started to explain. She shifted her attention to her husband, who looked to be distraught still from what had just happened. "Remember when you repaired Kailey's arms from that dragon attack back at the arcade? If you can fix her, maybe your fixing stuff powers will work on the truck."

"That was in the arcade, though, honeybunch," Felix replied. I could tell he was trying to work the logic of it all. "Will it even work out here in the real world?"

"We'll never know until you try," Steven responded. "I might have all the scientific data about how the virtual and real worlds interact with each other, but it always helps to see things in action for yourself."

"Well then what are we waiting for, ya chumps! Felix should get to working!" Vanellope seemed to be getting a bit anxious, which I couldn't blame her for.

Everyone looked down at Felix, who sat up immediately, and began over towards the truck. We watched as he contemplated the vehicle for a moment, eyeing how its front was completely smashed into the rock, and kneeling down to see it was leaking transmission fluid. By all means, the truck was literally a total wreck. I had remembered seeing a sight very similar to this when my brother had gotten into his first car wreck. Having slammed behind someone going over 45 MPH, the impact had left the front face of his truck completely destroyed. The last time I saw of it, it was being towed away. By all means in this current situation, a truck that looked like this was merely destined for the landfill.

It was hard for my brain to logically comprehend what happened next, though.

With a strike of his golden hammer, Fix-It Felix yet again lived up to his name rather well. I couldn't believe my eyes—at one moment, the truck was in absolute shambles. The next, it had been made as if the wreck never happened. The rock it had hit remained punctured from the crash; I could still even see the marks of dark paint on its surface from the trucks collision with it, yet amazingly, looking just inches to the left of it, the truck itself was in tip-top shape.

Felix would inspect the truck with another once over, striking his hammer on spots that needed some help, before he would turn around to face the group.

"Okie dokie, it's done," Felix confirmed, giving off a surprised grin of himself as he shrugged his shoulders. I'm pretty sure everyone at that moment jumped for joy, although subtly, as Calhoun ran over to her husband, lifting him in the air, and spun him around before giving him the biggest kiss I'd had seen yet.

"What would I do without you?" Calhoun hummed happily. Even our war-hardened Sergeant couldn't help but smile.

"Awe, shucks, hon, I'm just doing what I do," Felix responded with a coo. He blushed as Calhoun gave him another overwhelming kiss.

"Ugh, barf!" Vanellope said, sticking her tough out of her mouth as she made a gag gesture. "You guys are embarrassing." However, our attention on the lovebirds didn't mingle for long. At that moment, Ralph began to move around. Everyone would quickly pull their attention to Ralph, as he slowly but surely began to wake up.

"What did I miss?" Ralph muttered as he propped his head up, looking around the demolished cave entrance, and over towards Calhoun, Felix, and the fixed truck.

"It's a long story, Stink Brain," Vanellope hummed. "We all better get going now that we got that setback taken care of."

"She's right," Steven said, looking through his Omni-Tool. "By my calculations, with the help of traveling by car, we can make it to the address as soon as 15 hours if nothing stops us again like this."

"You mean a trip with _no_ setbacks?" I joked. "You're looking on the bright side, I see."

"Hey, it's the only thing keeping me sane right now, Kailey," Steven responded, his eyes narrowing.

Everyone began to trek back towards and into the truck by that time. Even as the engine started, prepping us all too yet again set out on our long, far journey, I couldn't help but look down at Turbo. He seemed to be uncomfortable, of course, but at least he was complying a bit better now. I didn't know if our little talk in the cave helped him any, but at least I understood him better. I just hoped he kept behaving. After all, we'd be around each other for a very, very long time.


	18. Team.(mp4)

There was something odd about the narrow highway as the forest landscape began to slowly drift to dessert, transitioning from green to yellows and tans the further we drove. For once, in all my sights to date, there was none quite like the sands, and stones surrounding giant plateaus in the distance, and a silence around us that I had not been able to appreciate in quite some time. It wasn't the deathly silence of the cave, or artificial lights of the facility. It wasn't even the dark nights I spent alone in Turbo's castle, but a new and beautiful silence that brought with it a steady acceptance of what my world could be—what the real would could be like: a blank slate, ready to be written upon.

The rush of afternoon traffic and blinding lights of the city were nowhere to be seen out there. Maybe some people would look to the dessert as if it was a rather barren place, but out here and on the road, it was a means of escape for me. Even the roads were clear as oranges and violets met the sandy landscape between the horizon, and somewhere-out-there.

Everyone had gotten quiet in the truck again. Felix had fallen asleep, his head propped up against Calhoun's side as she drove, and Vanellope had even gone adrift, her stares out the window soon coming to a close as she dreamed. The rest of us remained silent.

While Steven continued to survey the information on the Omni-Tool, only briefly going into discussions of the inner workings of codes and files he found with my brother sitting next to him by my side, did the silence break. This was only momentarily, however, before they disappeared back into their own worlds. I could only imagine what the crew was thinking about. I wondered if their minds were running around as fast as mine was, or if maybe they were simply appreciating the moment for what it was.

I don't think my mind quite knew what to do with that time. On one hand, my mind was buzzing around, and trying to decipher all the events that had happened up until now. Questions like: was there even going to be another Shiva Laser in existence, or what if the fight we left behind was going wrong? And yet, on the other hand of this inner turmoil of mine, I felt like I didn't _want_ to care. I spaced out often during my normal life as well before all this, but I soon found that adapting this routine of muting my brain was starting to become a more casual thing even within my new circumstances. I felt like if I were to just shut down, and let the current take me wherever, It would probably be better that way.

Letting go of the sight of the road and dessert behind and out the window, was like I was leaving memories out of the rear-view mirror. I'd recall what was happening to the city, and soon would spread into the world, which was horrible enough, but thinking about Aaron and what had happened was just too painful. Thinking about the Programs—not just the ones that had been at Litwak's—but _all_ Programs I had yet to meet that were somewhere on a computer or console on someone's table, or living room TV set, made me shiver. If Cy-bugs became what they ate, I didn't want to think about what would happen to the Programs living in these worlds. I wasn't just fighting for humanity anymore… I was fighting for Programs and digital space, too. I didn't know _how_ I was going to do it. I just had to put faith in our plan, in my friends, and even in myself.

I could feel every bump in the road, and creak in the vehicle, when I noticed a soft clunk sound begin to escape the engine. It was so subtle that anyone may have not noticed, but I soon would find that Vanellope was beginning to awaken, her eyes blinking at first as if trying to comprehend the sound before she sat up.

"Hey, Sarge, that doesn't sound good," Vanellope gestured. It was then that I noticed Calhoun herself was already looking concerned.

Calhoun, with a fearful scowl having been plastered across her lips for some time replied, "Yeah, you got that right." I found I was now looking at her from the backseat, at least as much as I could. "We've got a gasoline problem… I didn't want to alert anyone, but it looks like this isn't going to be a go-lucky-two-shoes kinda drive like I had thought. That's what you get when you become complacent!"

Vanellope's eyes widened. "Have we gone by any gas stations?" she asked.

"You take me for some kind of dunce?" Calhoun spat in response. "Of course I've been looking out for gas stations! There hasn't been one for miles and miles, and at this rate, if one doesn't show up soon we're up roar-creek!"

"My lady." Felix was waking up now, his voice groggy as he rubbed his eyes as he spoke to his wife. "What's all this cahoots about gas stations?"

I guess Calhoun finally lost it. She was trying not to worry everyone for so long, but the questions that were coming at her must've made her loose her cool. "We're running out of gasoline!" she reiterated.

"There's a station coming up in about 12 miles," Steven said, quickly hearing Calhoun's statement and attempting to look ahead with his Omni-Tool. "How long do we have?"

"Not twelve miles, that's for sure, four-eyes, more like five, tops!" Calhoun couldn't help but become a little bitter. "Not even our ships in my game used gasoline. Sometimes I wonder how on earth humans can do so many things, but their choice in transportation fuel is so pathetic."

"You're telling _me_ ," Dannen said, "we've had tons of alternatives ready for a while now, but nobody seems to want to make the leap yet."

"Well, there is no point in a coulda-shoulda-woulda debate here guys; we gotta think of what to do," Vanellope spoke up. She was right though, and even if she was just a child, it seemed she had become the voice of reason in this particular situation. "Steven, what does your glow gadget say about other cars being around here?"

"Well, there is a rest area coming up in about a half a mile, maybe there will be some parked cars with gas there?" Steven suggested. "If there are any cars in the parking lot, we might have to switch vehicles."

"Okay, not to sound like I'm not saying this is a good idea, Steven, but isn't that stealing?" Felix said.

"We're trying to get as far away as possible from those bugs, and to get somewhere as quickly as possible for the world's sake, and you're worried about _stealing_?" Vanellope responded.

"Maybe Ralph can push us!" Felix tried to suggest. "He told me about the kart incident from before in _Sugar Rush_ , and how you were running away from King Can—"

"Oh yeah, th'sure, bring that up, will you?" Turbo seethed. He had been quiet for so long, but that didn't mean he wasn't listening.

"Ah, shut your trap, Twinkie!" Vanellope yelled.

"My trap?" Turbo huffed. "Look whose flapping th'theirs, brat!"

"Don't you dare talk to Vanellope that way!" Ralph had poked his head through the back window to take up for his friend.

"Like we need your opinion, too, Wreck-It Ridiculou'ths!"

"Oh my God, would ya'll seriously shut the HELL UP!" I yelled then. "I am so sick and tired of all ya'll's shitty ass arguing!" This seemed to get the truck quiet again, although it came with a shock-value to everyone that I had raised my voice, especially in a way like this. Felix seemed to be the most shocked of all as his mouth hung open as he looked at me with his head turned toward me from the front seat. "Our best bet is to make it to that rest-stop Steven suggested. If there's nothing there, then we will simply work from that point forward. If we keep arguing like this literally nothing is going to be accomplished."

"Honestly? Kailey is right," Calhoun stated then. "We can't let our panties get in a wad right now… wasting time is not something we have the privilege of doing. Now let's quit ruffling each other's feathers and focus on the mission."

After that, the car got quiet again. It wouldn't be long until we reached the rest stop.

The rest area had a few cars parked, as anticipated, but like us they were completely out of gas. I could feel everyone's emotions emanate with a mixture of irritation and disappointment, but there was literally nothing else that could be done. Steven was trying to come up with an alternate solution as he scanned the road maps from his Omni-Tool, while the rest of us tried coming up with what ideas we could on our own. Vanellope started kicking small rocks on the concrete, while the rest of us sat back, waiting for someone else to talk first.

"Maybe we should keep driving… we have a few miles left, right?" Felix suggested. "Maybe something will turn up then?"

"And what if that doesn't happen?" Ralph put a hand to the back of his neck, scratching anxiously. "I guess I could push you guys…"

"You won't be able to keep that up for long, will ya, Ralph?" Vanellope grew a bit concerned when she said this. "We're talking like… a _long_ ways to go here."

"That's unreasonable," Calhoun said. "Whether we like it or not, we're going to need another vehicle. There's no way we'd make it in quick enough time without one. Walking will take weeks, months even when the Cy-bugs catch up!"

"We need to split up, guys…" Steven finally spoke up, walking over towards the group with a map that displayed it as a hologram from the Omni-Tool. The road was at a Y-shaped split here, diverging off into two directions. It looked to go for miles, but each way had a few glowing dots, indicating something was there. "Looks like people were leaving their cars behind. By splitting up we can check each car faster. Hopefully one of those will be drivable."

"What if they don't have gas, too?" I asked.

"I said _hopefully_ ," Steven reiterated. "We better get started before it starts getting too dark.

A silent agreement came over the group then, and we began to split. Vanellope and Ralph had already started down one road, and that's when Calhoun began to follow. Felix quickly would start after her, leaving Dannen, Steven, Turbo and I.

"Why don't you go after the others, S'th'even, I'm sure they'll need your help," Turbo suggested, but I could see a hint of discomfort slip his gaze.

"We'd be uneven then," Steven responded. "Besides, I'm sure it'll take the four of us less time to go through all the cars."

I saw Dannen glare mildly at Turbo. He could tell the obvious: Turbo wanted to be alone… with me. Not that I particularly blamed him, though. Dannen and Steven were enemies; maybe not as much of enemies as Calhoun, Felix, and especially Ralph and Vanellope, but I was the only one that had been tolerating him.

"Let's just keep moving," Dannen would say, attempting to divert the suggestion. "The sooner we start the sooner we can meet back up with the others."

"Right," Steven agreed. The two started walking towards the other road as indicated on the holographic map. As they made a few paces ahead of me, I started following, Turbo reluctantly coming after. I was beginning to finally admit this entire forcing-the-team-together thing was going to be far harder than I thought. I mean, _of course_ I thought it was going to be a challenge, but Turbo was so stubborn in his previous hatred for the others that even now, trying to work with my brother and Steven, was starting to look like a lost cause. I didn't think he'd try anything smart with us, but still.

* * *

"Nope, nothing in this one…" Dannen said, half his body sticking out of the driver's seat area of one of the first cars stranded along the lone highway. "Maybe you guys walk ahead—I'll take the first three here and check. We'll cover more ground."

I was starting to think this was a lost cause, even though logically one of the cars must've had to have what we needed. I was starting to feel like a Debbie Downer.

"Okay, I'll check the ones ahead," I confirmed, then began walking. Steven meanwhile ran across the road and diagonal from us to check out another that had been stranded.

Turbo yet again was being rather quiet. Despite the fact that we all were very much focusing on a task at hand, I couldn't help but contemplate what he must be thinking. Maybe I was a people pleaser, or better yet, a self-declared counselor of the group, but seeing that he so easily got back into a verbal argument with the others in the truck was really striking a negative cord with me. At times he seemed to be beyond reason when it came to all this. I was trying to think of ways to make him relax a bit more and at least help him tolerate being in the group now, so I said the first thing that was on my mind that reminded me of him.

"You like cars, right?" I asked as we walked.

Turbo didn't say anything for a second. It was barely noticeable, but I think he seized up briefly and mildly, as if what I had just said brought on a wave of feelings. However, he blinked nonchalantly, perking himself up then and allowed his hands to take hold of his purple coat on both sides of his chest before he responded, "Yes."

"Well, you don't have to wait for me to order you anything…" I laughed half-heartedly. "You're a part of this team."

"Oh really now, Th'sweettart?" he responded. "It doesn't really look like it much, you know."

"Look, I know what you're going to say…" I began, lifting my hands to my chest to express my feelings on the matter. "We've already had this discussion of the sorts. You hate them, they hate you… okay whatever, and we all know that."

"You hate me too, obviou'th'sly." Turbo's eyes narrowed as he kept up with his King Candy act by acting poised and unfazed by the conversation. Maybe it was a defense mechanism. After all, he had been hiding in this character of his for many years that it could have been second nature to do something like this. I was noticing as he walked that his legs were doing some weird twirl thing as if a small detail in his programming hinted at him being a racer.

"Umm, why would you say that?" I tried playing it cool.

"You're a horrible liar, don't try it." Turbo stopped walking, turning to face me then.

I knew good and well what he was getting at. I wasn't an idiot. Sometimes ignoring things in my head—memories, thoughts and all—was _my_ defense mechanism. If I didn't think about things, then it wasn't real anymore. It was the reason I was so creative; at work, when I was bored, I'd daydream. When I had a lot of college assignments to finish, I'd put it down and write something. It wasn't that I didn't care, but that sometimes things were too painful to remember, or overwhelming to continue.

In this moment, however, those memories were flooding back to me. Specifically about _him_.

While what he was as a Cy-brid wasn't exactly who was standing in front of me, right then and there, it was a part of him. The monster had his face, and his voice. It joked like him, smiled like him…but yet, it didn't. King Candybug, as I've often began to silently call him at that time, was in all respects a nightmare. He terrified me. Saying otherwise would be like a mouse saying he wasn't scared of a cat.

I recalled briefly, like a back flash, when he had killed Kohut, and then when he had killed that human man. Those that didn't comply with his demands were not worth living in his new world. Whipping his hands of blood was me, yet again, trying to cover up what I feared—I had feared the world, and if I covered it up, it wasn't real anymore.

I closed my eyes, harshly for a moment. I was trying to hide a wave of tears filling up my eyes, but instead of them falling onto my cheeks, they just weld up inside, distorting my vision.

"King Candybug may have done horrible things to me," I said, "but I looked beyond the monster he had become." I paused for a moment, blinking my eyes once, and opened them again to see my world had been made clear. "And I saw…you."

His poised expression broke, turning to something of distraught, shock, or maybe even something else. He wasn't mad or scared, even. It was an expression of disbelief perhaps, of wonderment—bafflement, too.

I didn't know what he was making of my statement, but I turned ahead and started walking without asking further. There was a car a few paces ahead, so I got to work, checking over the dash, and looking for keys if there were any. To my luck, there was a set on the floor board, so I set them in place and attempted to turn the engine on halfway, checking the gasoline gauge. Sadly, it was empty, barely even staying on midway before it coughed up exhaust and died. Slightly irritated, I'd take out the _Hero's Duty_ com-link I had on me, and checked out the area. Steven and Dannen's markers were to our east, obviously moving around from car to car. Ahead of me, there were a few more cars to check, just as Steven's Omni-Tool had foretold.

So I kept looking. I checked each car, checking for keys, and when I found a pair, I'd then refer to the gas gauge. But it was the same results every time. Each car abandoned on the highway was out of gas, or out gas and power. I was starting to revert back to my initial doubtful response, before I figured it couldn't hurt to check the last car.

Turbo had been lagging behind, but I didn't lose sight of him. Knowing that, I began to approach the last vehicle, although as I got closer this one looked a little more decked-out with its paint job than the others I had seen so far. For the most part, it wasn't anything special: it was an older model of a Ford Taurus, white in color, but painted blue and red on the front and back most portion of the car, respectively, with a curving yellow line serving as a clear distinction between the choice of colors. What was most unique about it, though, was a white number 2 painted on the side, and even on the top of the car.

By all means, it looked like a racecar.

"Hmmm, wonder who was a racing enthusiast," I joked out loud. I looked over to Turbo, who was standing a few yards from me, looking at the ground. I raised a brow momentarily, a feeling of concern causing me to pause. However, I also wanted to get this over with, and whether or not this thing also had gas or not, we'd be done.

I opened the door and took a seat at the wheel, though my thoughts on the matter quickly morphed once I saw how the car looked on the inside.

"Wow, this is some fancy Taurus," I spoke out loud. On the outside, this thing just looked like a well-kept older model vehicle, but on the inside it was strangely high-tech. Instead of a key ignition, it had what looked like a thumb-sized A-button that strangely reminded me of one like on the Nintendo 64 controller.

As I contemplated the strangeness of the car, my curiosity got the better of me, and I pressed the button. Suddenly, loud music began to play, and like a lightning bolt, I instantly knew what it was.

"It's a freaking Program racecar!" My eyes felt like they were bulging out I was focusing so hard. The music, the controls, the model and paint job of this racing car… it was none other than Car number 2 from the Nintendo 64's _Destruction Derby 64,_ that yet again, had been at Litwak's prior to all this. As much as a marvel that it was on its own, I was floored by how it was distributed into the real world so flawlessly. Many people would have driven by assuming this thing was just any other car, and yet here it was, a literal and metaphorical diamond in the rough. "Turbo, we got us a new ride!" I exclaimed outwardly, overcome with joy.

Turbo had walked over by that time, and peered into the car. Once he took notice of the layout of the dash, he soon realized I wasn't joking.

"Does th'this car have a racer that goes with it?" Turbo had asked after a moment of contemplation. I could tell he was being cautious in some way. It was like he had driven someone else's kart for so long—Vanellope's original kart— that when this new opportunity arrived to drive another racecar, it must've felt odd.

"No… the game didn't have any racer avatars." I shrugged, and then turned to look at him. "It was a straight player-to-car sort of control programming."

"Well then…" Turbo mused, perking up a bit, "let's take it for a ride."

"It's a stick shift, though; I don't know how to drive it."

" _I do_." Turbo was beaming now. What I did next may have seemed dangerous, but I soon jumped on another opportunity.

"Do you want to drive?" I asked. My thought process was maybe by helping out Turbo, I could make this team work.

Turbo immediately made eye-contact with me. It was as if what I had just said was something he had wished someone would let him do for a very long time. I'd imagine it was like a chocoholic being deprived of chocolate for months, or a dude-bro being forced to not go to the gym for weeks on end. What metaphor I could really compare it to, though, wasn't nearly as good enough to describe what must have been a deep love and desire to do what Turbo was programmed to be.

He was a racer.

"Yes…" Turbo responded, although attempting to contain himself.

I scooted over to the passenger's side of the vehicle, which allowed Turbo to climb in, and take a seat at the wheel. It was a bit funny watching him get situated, as his short stature barely allowed him to see over the dash. Nonetheless, it looked like he managed to get comfortable before he began shifting the cars gears into drive.

"Okay, so let's drive by and pick up Steven and my brother, then we can head back to meet with the others," I said. I was starting to imagine the relief that the others would feel once they realized this new setback had already been fixed.

"No," Turbo responded.

I felt my heart skip a bit then seem to fall into my stomach. I found that my prior thoughts of heading back were traded for worry. I was starting to actually contemplate whether this was at all a great idea; which it wasn't.

"Don't get any bright ideas," I cautioned. If he was about to try and run away with the car and me in it… well, I could only imagine the worst. Any sort of catharsis I was trying to allow to bring Turbo in could very easily backfire now.

Turbo didn't answer, though. I was prepared fully for him to step on the gas and drive as far away as possible to anywhere and nowhere in particular. What he had planned after that—there was no telling. With the world falling apart there wasn't much I could comprehend beyond that.

However, to my surprise, he did the exact opposite. Instead of sending the car speeding ahead, he turned it around, stomping on the gas. We started gaining speed so fast that passing by my brother and Steven was like watching a flash go by. I couldn't help but hang onto my seat, completely uncomfortable with going this fast, with Turbo at the wheel.

I felt the racecar twist and turn as we navigated the road from whence we came. The desert plateaus, shrubs, and sand hills in the distance that I had seen before passed like a blink of an eye, only now drenched in that deep purple twilight, easing its way into blue that indicated the day was coming to a close. Toward the horizon, what small bits of sunlight appeared created a view almost as of a barrier to the horizon, a halo of the sorts that I imagined surrounded the earth. Briefly in that moment, I felt a sense of ease. I'd look over then, to my left, and watch Turbo drive.

He was smiling. It wasn't a malicious or sarcastic smile like I had often seen him give. It was different… this time I could see what he was doing had no signs of anything other than joy of the moment. Somehow, I had helped bring out the real Turbo.

We had gone about a mile back on the road we had come, when Turbo turned the racecar around quickly, causing the sound of skating and squealing tires to overcome my ears, and the smell of rubber to fill my nostrils. The world in front of me and beyond the windshield spun as my head fell back onto the seat, and before I could realize it, we were speeding back again. Like small dots in the distance, I could see Steven and Dannen down one split in the road, and the others towards the other side. I felt Turbo take my hand, where I held the _Hero's Duty_ com-link, and watched as he pressed the button to hail both parties at once.

"If you fool'th's want, you can hitch a ride with us." He started grinning again, a mixture of his previous giddiness from the drive, with a hint of pride then escaping his expression. "Meet us back at the checkpoint."

After he finished talking, his gaze slipped from the com-link to end the call, toward the road ahead, and then back to me, continuing with his smile.

"Hey, keep your eyes on the road," I commented, diverting my eyes briefly. However, after I had returned them to look at Turbo, he was still looking at me; his head actually full blown turned my direction, further emphasizing that he was not paying any mind to the highway.

"I don't even need to look," Turbo replied, his voice flowing with confidence, and a bit of mischief.

Even as we got closer to the rest stop, I felt like I could put trust in that statement, although I was still hanging onto my seat like I could fly out somehow at any second. Like he had done this millions of times, Turbo shifted the gears, continuing his stare at me, and pressed the breaks. The car drifted then as it became parallel to our destination. We slipped into the parking lot entrance like a glove, and with a sudden and quick heave, we landed perfectly in the empty parking spot.

"No need for applause," Turbo said, turning off the engine then.

I felt like I could have facepalmed myself, but my arms were stuck in a tight strain on the seat on both sides of my body. I didn't want to admit anything, but I was starting to get nauseous.

"What the blazes!?" I heard Calhoun spew from somewhere outside. The others were closing in to the meet up point, but for that brief moment, I found myself smiling back at Turbo then. Maybe this could work after all; maybe all doubts I had been keeping about this team working could finally be relinquished. I wasn't expecting a complete repair of Turbo's relationship with the others, but maybe just enough to help us.

"You did good," I said then. It was the absolute least I could say.

* * *

"Steven, what are you doing?" Vanellope asked. Everyone was looking at him as he inspected the Program racecar quite extensively.

"This could work," Steven muttered, seemingly dismissing Vanellope's question for a time before he finally perked up. It was completely dark now, so we could only see the orange glow of his Omni-Tool as he disappeared behind the vehicle, and then finally see his head as he looked at us from over the top of the car. "This thing not only goes fast, but it has some decent durability status," he commented.

"Well duh, it's a _Destruction Derby_ car," I scoffed. I was such a nerd.

"But I can make it better." Steven winked, causing us all to pause to think about his statement.

"Ah, I see," Calhoun said, as her previously crossed arms over her torso relaxed at her sides. "You can possibly change its structure a bit I'm guessing?"

"That's actually a great idea," Ralph chimed in. "I was starting to wonder how I'd even fit on top of the car…"

Vanellope started laughing, slapping her right knee before saying, "Yeah imagine us driving around with Ralph strapped to the top like some heavy duty luggage or something."

"The good news is we won't have to," Steven started to explain, although he smiled from the joke. "I can add some extra codes to its programming via access with the Omni-Tool. Maybe make it a little bigger, with a trunk perhaps to fit Ralph."

"It's like Make a Kart all over again!" Vanellope pointed out excitedly. "Ohhh, give it some shiny new rims—oh no, maybe instead give it a new paint job that says, 'President Von Schweetz and The Saviors!'"

"That sounds like the name of a rock band or something," Ralph chuckled. "You're over your head, kid."

"Maybe so," Vanellope cooed. "What's the point in having a team if we aren't going to come up with a name?"

"We don't have time for that," Calhoun said, rather seriously.

"Yes, maybe not…" I said then. I was starting to realize that as serious of a situation we were in, despite its importance and urgency overall, wasn't particularly good on the psyche. We needed something to hold onto, such as someone may look to a symbol when they feel lost, or a goal. As much as Calhoun projected on how we should continue on without so much as a cry or joke, we weren't soldiers after all like she was. There had to be a sense of hope in what we were doing. "A name sounds good… Steven is going to be busy for a bit modifying the car to get us ready to set out, but while he's doing that why not?"

"The code wouldn't be hard to change for the cars paint," Steven said. "You guys go ahead!"

I could see Vanellope shake with excitement. "The Sugar Gang!" she exclaimed.

"The Bug Wreckers, maybe?" Ralph chimed.

"Soldiers of Vengeance," Calhoun said sternly.

"The Fixer-Uppers!" Felix said.

"The End Gamers…." Dannen suggested with a chuckle.

"Holy shit, that's a good one," I responded, half in a jokingly way, but the other in a serious way.

"I can deal with that," Turbo mused then. The others seemed to pause when he joined the conversation, but while there was a bit of discomfort, it didn't manifest itself amongst them for long.

"The End Gamers it is then," Calhoun agreed. Everyone seemed to nod then. "Those Cy-bugs won't know what happened to them."

Steven had already started changing the car as he sent commands through the Omni-Tool and into its code. The car grew a bit larger, and grew a trunk of the sorts to house Ralph like on a truck. The tires were modified slightly to handle harder terrain if need be, and the number 2 written on the sides and top of the car transformed into the name we had come up with for our group. In all honesty, the car looked rather weird, but it was _ours_.

"Does it still go fast?" Vanellope asked then, seeing the dynamics of the car change.

"You bet," Steven replied. "Real world logic and physics doesn't seem to mess with a Program's workings. As a matter of fact it'll still do exactly as I told it to do in the code I just gave it."

"Is it still sturdy?" I asked.

"Better than before!" Steven confirmed positively again.

"The night is still young, then." Calhoun seemed to tie up the conversation, walking towards our new vehicle. "We can reach our destination by dawn if we keep driving."

"Calhoun," I spoke up, "you've been at it for a long time. Why don't you let someone else take the wheel?

"You mean you? You haven't slept in quite a while. If I'm not mistaken you Users need to get some shut eye."

"True," I said. I'd take a moment to glance down at Turbo. I could tell immediately that this was going to get some negative feedback, but I had to try. "We have to build each other up now. Give Turbo a try. He was the one that got the car here after all."

I saw Vanellope shift uncomfortably. "You're kidding, right?"

"No, I'm not kidding," I replied. "But… if he tries anything messy, you have my permission to beat him up." I shrugged.

"What?!" Turbo's eyes widened as his stance stiffened.

"Oh boy, now I can't wait for you to mess up, Twinkie!" Vanellope pat a fist into her other palm, smiling mischievously.

The others all started climbing into the car then. While the middle-ground conclusion I had come up with maybe wasn't the best, it was the only thing I could think of. Turbo still had to become responsible for his actions, but I also wanted to give him a chance. If he was the racer I knew he was, he'd get us to where we needed to be.

"So how about it?" I said, tilting my head sideways to gesture toward the car. "You driving or what?"

Turbo grabbed hold of his purple coat again, eyeing me up and down, and then cautiously glanced over at the others getting into the car before he responded. "Of cou'th'rse…" he'd say.

This time, I joined Turbo in the front, with Dannen at the window seat next to me. Calhoun, Steven, and Vanellope took the backseat that had been added to the cars coding, and Ralph took the trunk. As the engine turned on, I felt like we were on a metaphorical arrow, being launched by an archer. There had been so many setbacks, and so many struggles. But by being pulled back, we'd soon be launched forward.

"Alright Steven, we know we're heading to Cali, but what's this place called?" I asked as Turbo backed out of the parking lot, and positioned the car forward and towards the road heading west.

"We're going to a place called Flynn's Arcade," Steven responded. "If these old files on the Shiva Laser are to be believed, the original machine will be there."

I nodded, and looked over towards Turbo. The headlights from the front of the racecar were filtering in through the windshield, and the small colorful lights from the dashboard were the only glows of light that brought vision into the car. Through the shadows that covered Turbo's face, I saw his brows were being held into a furrow, his expression straight with determination.

"Ready when you are," I said, attempting to help him along. His eyes shifted my direction for a split second, before he shifted the gears into drive, and we sped off.


	19. Flynn's Arcade.(mp4)

For almost the entirety of the drive, I must've fallen into a deep sleep, because the next thing I knew, my peering vision caught sunlight peaking over the horizon like the twinkling of an eye. I heard the rumbling but steady hum of Car number 2, so eloquently renamed with our new team name 'The Game Enders', as we drove the steady highway. Those last few moments of sleepiness seemed to dissipate as we came from over a hill, beyond it a sparkling city shining with silver. Unlike the city I had started at, this one was still untouched by the Cy-bugs—the sheer difference was like night and day.

Imagining the devastation of the Cy-bugs, and what King Candybug had done, my city had been reduced to broken buildings, shattered cars and crumbled streets. People wallowed about, covered in dirt and grime, and the castle that stood in its center, although the most pristine of the view of the world I had known for so long, had a sinister and dark aura cast upon it. Despite the veil of illusion it harbored, with its structured walls and polished floors, the smell of iron and ash had filled the air, giving away the chaos that had been placed upon the real world.

But here, this city so far departed from all that chaos, was an example of my world untouched by misfortune. The further we drove in, the more I was reminded of what normalcy looked like. Despite there being hardly any people driving around, having quarantined themselves in preparation for what was bound to come, the streets were paved firmly and smoothly on the ground, the many buildings' metal and glass windows catching sunlight as of newly polished diamonds, and homes and cars remained undestroyed. Even the smell in the air seemed fresh with the hint of a recent rainfall, and in the air and outside the car window, I heard the faint song of birds chirping as we passed, and the barking of a dog or two on the sidewalks and backyards of homes as we turned a street corner.

I thought to myself how easily this could all change for the people that lived here, but instead of allowing fear to instill within me, I'd turn the idea around, and thought only how it drove me towards my goal. We had already made it to the city we needed to be at, and were so close to finding another way to fight back the swarm of Cy-bugs that remained in the world.

I only hopped that what was promised would still be here.

"Steven, are you awake?" My voice was hoarse at first, probably from sleeping with my mouth open the entire time.

"Yes," he said. "I've been awake for a few hours now."

"Do you ever sleep?" Calhoun said sarcastically, but a soft chuckle escaped her throat afterwards.

"I slept, yes," Steven answered. "I'm just nervous is all…"

"Why do you say that?" I asked. I was trying to be as positive as possible, despite how deep in my chest I wrenched just thinking about _if_ this entire trip had been for nothing. On top of it, it seemed too good to be true that we had made the entire duration of the drive without any mishaps.

"Well… these old files I got the address from are so _old_ , and Flynn, the original creator of the Shiva Laser has been dead for a decades now, too. I had done some research on this place—Flynn's Arcade—and it seems the establishment, although abandoned, is still here with the address of Mead Street."

"Ok… it seems like you got it figured out though. All we can do is hope for the best."

"But what if the best doesn't come? What if there's nothing for us here but a bunch of old arcade games? The characters can't even get out to help us without the device anyway—so Cy-bugs in or Programs out—we're doomed."

"Jeez, Steven, a little bit of a downer, huh?" I heard Felix whisper from the back.

"Let's just focus on the mission, everyone. Put one foot in front of the other, and take this one goal at a time." Calhoun huffed. I heard her shuffle in her seat. "No use in acting like a bunch of pussy willows."

I chuckled a bit upon her comment. I was starting to enjoy Calhoun's way of words. "You hear that though, Turbo? We're heading to Mead Street," I'd say then, turning my head to look at him, who was sitting at the wheel.

"I heard…" Turbo grumbled, his focus on the drive quite dedicated, in all honesty.

The further into the city we went, and the closer to the address we got, the bright portion of the city, untouched by Cy-bug decimation, would soon turn into a different kind of decline. Unlike the absolute wreckage I had been so accompanied to seeing, this older part of town we had arrived in was old and unkempt. The buildings, every which way I looked, were abandoned, some windows even being blocked and stamped with wood planks and graffiti. Some stray posters and trash would occasionally scatter the sidewalks when a gust of wind swept by, but other than that, it seemed this area was destitute. I was starting to feel that ache in my chest return just before we turned the corner onto Mead Street. Ahead, and to our left, and at the corner of a crosswalk, was Flynn's Arcade.

Silence seemed to remain with us as the group took everything in. Seeing the arcade in person cautioned us. The giant letters that spelt 'FLYNN'S ' at the forehead of the building, that may have once been lit with blazing colors in its prime years, were turned off and rusted. There looked to even be a since abandoned birds nest sitting caressed in the Y. Above the letters was a metal-fenced balcony, with two arched windows that were blocked out with large sets of plywood. The entrance itself was just as foreboding as the rest of the building, having been locked up with a metal gate, and at the door itself, there was yet another lock set up that had been situated tightly on the door handle. It seemed this place hadn't seen much of anything for quite a number of years, to put it obviously.

"Oh my land…" Felix was the first to break the silence.

"Don't get whiny just yet! We haven't even taken a look inside!" Vanellope seemed to become the optimist to Felix's pessimism, which was kind of odd, considering Felix had often shown himself to be rather chipper in almost every circumstance I had seen him face thus far.

The car came to a stop and Turbo shut off the engine directly in front of the fenced off entrance. Steadily, we all got out of the car, and walked up to our barrier, contemplating our choices from then on out.

"All right, you guys try not to touch anything," Steven directed.

"We gotta break this fence down somehow, it's not like we have keys!" Calhoun said.

"Which won't be a problem, for yours truly." Ralph took his large hands, and stretched them outwards together, making a crackle sound with his knuckles.

Steven sighed, and gestured his arms toward the entrance, taking a step back as he lowered his head. The rest of us followed suit as we watched Ralph tear the fence apart with ease; the metal creaked and groaned from being picked apart, and compressed together. All the remains of the security fence was thrown to the side in a nice pile. After that, all Ralph had to do was grab hold of the lock that kept the door shut, pinching it between his thumb and index finger to pop it, and free the doors confines.

I didn't hear anyone make a comment, but I heard a few relieved sighs at that moment. It was then that Steven and Dannen took the first steps into the arcade.

As I followed behind them, and the others after me, I would soon see exactly how old and run down the place actually was. Old 80's arcade games, covered in large plastic coverings that had become saturated in dust and cobwebs, served almost as shrouds to long shutdown game consoles. They lined the left and right of us like a darkened, abandoned runway—a place that had once been alive and thriving with gamers, partygoers, and families alike had become a shell of its former self, its game inhabitants forever lost in limbo in their blacked out worlds.

The Programs in our group, each and every one of them, became uncomfortable in their own way. I took a glance at their faces and gestures—Calhoun scowling, Vanellope twitting her thumbs, Felix staring agape, Ralph bowing his head, and even Turbo glancing at all the blackened screens as if they were all literally looking into a graveyard into the past. Games like _Dragon's Lair_ , _Centipede_ , _Crystal Castle_ , _Missile Command_ , _Donkey Kong_ , _Space Invaders_ , and _Pac Man_ were some of the many consoles that remained asleep.

Dannen had taken the opportunity to peer back towards the right wall from the entrance, seeing an equally dusty, half-opened power breaker. He'd gently wipe away a few lingering cobwebs before he traced his finger over the different buttons, soon jumping the system which suddenly, and like a resurrection, commanded the lights to turn on in the building, and the chorus of many sounds and voices from the arcade games to awaken. As if the music in the building had just ended a song prior to shutting down years ago, I heard a stall before a new track began to play. After a moment, and then resuming as if it had waited years to do so, the speakers distributed throughout the arcade began to play the song _Dance Hall Days_ by Wang Chung, the additional music clashing and stirring with the many arcade games, seemingly placing me in a time that I would never know.

While the Program members of the group weren't quite recovered from their initial shock of seeing their kin shut off, the arcade's resurrection seemed to bring them into a new state of mind: confusion, worry…even hope seemed to fill their eyes as they walked down the hall, staring into the screens, and looking upon the game worlds and characters as through the eyes of their creators.

"Do you think… they remember anything?" Felix asked. All of us had not said a word up until then, and even through the loud music, I could hear and feel exactly what Felix must've been thinking. In fact, I was pondering these questions myself: how was it that game characters survived a power shutdown?

"I don't know," I said honestly, placing a hand on a _Duck Hunt_ console, as if placing my hand on the forehead of a sick patient.

"There would be only one way to find out," Steven said, his hand muffling his voice just a tad as his fingers wrapped around his lips and chin in thought. "Where do you think he'd keep the laser?"

Everyone attempted to shift the mood, and hold questions about life after shutdown for game characters. Calhoun in particular seemed to be the one to buck up the quickest, soon her scattered gaze upon the game worlds shifting back into mission mode, as she scanned the arcade up and down and side to side. "There is a second floor it looks like," she point out, "but it doesn't look like there is a laser up there, as far as I can tell."

"Let's split up," Vanellope suggested. "I'll go take a look upstairs!"

Before we could even all agree on anything, Vanellope ran towards a door, labeled 'Flynn's Office' to the far upper left corner of the arcade, and past more consoles. The rest of us shrugged, and began to pace up and down the first aisle of games, soon some of the group making their way leftward and deeper into the arcade itself, while I and the other half went straight towards the back.

Steven had been patting the walls like he had become a detective, while I couldn't help but continue to stare down the game screens, soon coming to a _Tron_ arcade game at the far back, which seemed to be particularly situated to look as if it was being heavily showcased with the help of a blue lit sign above it, simply spelling out the word 'TRON' in big bright letters. Unlike the other games in the arcade, however, there were no characters or animation on this screen. While obviously turned on, it was blank, almost as if a world had never existed within it.

"Hey, guys?" I asked aloud. "Is this supposed to be broken or what?"

Dannen and Steven had walked over, eyeing the _Tron_ console intently. Dannen was even the one to remove the plastic that covered it, revealing to us more clarity that indeed it was an arcade game…without a game.

"That's odd," Steven mumbled to himself. His Omni-Tool suddenly appeared on his arm, the orange glow of the game item reflecting into the blank black _Tron_ screen like blaring a flashlight into a dead persons pupils. Steven would proceed to scan the console, although oddly enough, its code was significantly lacking the usual gaming codes of other arcade games, the line of code itself actually being very short, and only consisting of a few dozen or so lines as I glanced over at Steven's holographic depiction of it on his arm.

"Whoa, that's _odd_ ," Steven repeated again. I could see he was getting lost in thought.

I cleared my throat, hoping it would be enough to pick him out of his internal debate with himself. It seemed to do the trick as his head perked up, and his blue eyes shifted from the hologram and up to me. "See here? The game code is stationary; meaning its grid of the sorts is blank."

"What does that mean?"

"If I'm reading the Omni-Tool correctly, that means the game, if there ever was one, is no longer there."

"Tron's dead?" I raised a brow, curious as to how that was possible. "Why are all the other characters still in their consoles?"

Steven shrugged. "I don't think it had anything to do with cutting power from the arcade, if that's what you mean. If there isn't code in the game, there's no game, simple as that. You can't just destroy the inner digital workings of your computer, for example, when you shut it off."

"Hey!" Vanellope's voice came from the office door; not more than a few seconds after that did she appear back downstairs with the rest of us. "I didn't see any extra door, or laser at all up there. Just some dusty old sofa…"

"I'm not seeing anything over here either," Ralph chimed in from the other half portion of the arcade. "Just more games."

I felt my heart sinking. I couldn't believe this. Here we were, miles and miles away from where we started, at the very arcade we set to seek out, only to have gotten backed up into a metaphorical corner with nothing to show for it. Other than the idea we already had to use the laser to reverse engineer the portal to become a beacon, I couldn't think of any other way to create a bright enough beacon to entice and trap the Cy-bugs with, and without one, they'd surely continue their progression into the real world and destroy everything. They'd eat every single electronic device, kill every human, and multiply until the entire planet was filled with nothing but Cy-bugs. I began to imagine them spreading even further into the solar system—on the moon, on mars and beyond until the entire galaxy itself was invaded by the viruses. The thought of it terrified me so much that for a brief second I lost my balance as I tried to steady my breathing, suddenly realizing that I was falling into symptoms of an anxiety episode.

"Don't give up, guys!" Steven encouraged. "Check the walls…anything! Maybe there's a secret passage or something."

"This isn't a _game_ , you know that, right?" Dannen asked out loud, suddenly even my own brother becoming negative in his thinking. "Look around you, dude! There isn't any Shiva Laser! The old asshole must've packed up and abandoned ship, and died somewhere in the woods with that thing ages ago!"

"You don't know that," Steven argued. "We gotta try something."

"We have tried _everything_!" Dannen erupted suddenly. I hadn't seen him do anything like this in years, lashing out that is, but it was bound to happen. We had been traumatized, continuously, for so long now that it was finally hitting us Users. Besides me and my brother already freaking out, Steven looked like he was the only one trying to maintain composure.

"We can go onto the flash drive system and replicate a bunch of _Hero's Duty_ guns!" Steven tried to come up with another idea on the spot. "The military can use those to their advantage and stop the Cy-bugs with them."

"You act like you've never even played _Hero's Duty_!" Dannen's hands fell into his dark hair, grabbing hold of the strands at the root. "You know good and well that _Hero's Duty_ even is maintained by a beacon to kill the Cy-bugs after every game session! Fighting them directly is not an option!"

Steven's eyes had widened by now. The Omni-Tool on his arm had vanished at that point as his arms dangled at his sides, for a moment looking almost like he could've been catatonic.

The song that had been playing loudly on the speakers had begun to fade out at this point, soon the next track spitting _Things Can Only Get Better_ by Howard Jones at us in the moment of debate of our future. I thought how ironic it was, as the synthesized tune mixed with the wind instrumental intro shifted, the positivity in its lyrics talking about not faltering, and success or failure not changing our course of action.

To be completely honest, being positive for as long as I had been, it was now starting to become really hard to keep it up. I found my mind spilling back into the past, the memory of feeling gravity overtaking my body as the grinding gears of the inside of the massive Goliath Cy-bug's mouth yawned and waited for me to fall. The only thing that had held onto me in those moments of giving up, of all people in the world, was old man Aaron.

 _'Just let go,'_ I had told him. I had reached my limit at that point in my journey. I had felt like I was useless in comparison to everyone else. I was the guinea pig to this entire science experiment gone wrong, and for the longest time I had felt like the one holding everybody back. It had been because of me that Steven, Calhoun, Felix, Vanellope, and Ralph had to turn around and come back to rescue me from King Candybug, and up until that moment during the Goliath battle, I felt I might as well cast myself into the massive Cy-bugs mouth and end it all there.

And yet… Aaron had held onto me. That bitter old man, who hated the world, hated games…somehow held on to preserve _my_ life.

My mind suddenly shifted gears. My dark thoughts soon had a light shown upon them as I thought backwards and forward again in time. I was the First User. I was the wayfinder. I was the one who separated that Cy-bug from Turbo's code, the one who got us out of that cave, and I was the one who would continue to do good, here and now.

Yes, I was the First User, and my circumstances now would never change that.

My eyes slipped from the fight in front of me, and back down towards the _Tron_ machine. I contemplated its design: the ENCOM logo to the left of the game's title still glowed, revealing that the machine was still receiving power, despite the lack of a living world within the game itself. Down passed the black screen, and onto the floor, my eyes briefly settled on the ground just below it, catching a glimpse of the collected dust that seemed to have fallen over the arcade like snow. On the ground, it was there that I saw a cut in the dust's pattern, almost like a windshield wiper had appeared from under the console, and had retreated back into place. My mind attempted to understand this for a few moments longer, until a thought had crossed my mind, which I couldn't help but speak aloud.

" _Tron_ is the doorway."

"What?" Dannen asked. His brown eyes looked to be glistening, as if he was about to start crying out of frustration before I had spoken up.

"I said, _Tron_ is the doorway," I repeated.

"Kailey… what are you talking about?" Steven wasn't sure what I was implying at first, but suddenly his blank expression shifted, and his eyes seemed to light up. "Wait, maybe you're on to something."

Dannen sat aside baffled for a second before Steven and I shifted over to the left side of the _Tron_ console. Like Steven had been doing to the walls, feeling and searching every nook and cranny, his fingers would quickly slip behind the back of _Tron_ , triggering an ecstatic reaction.

"Help me move this thing!" he'd say.

I immediately complied, fitting my fingers behind the console too join his, and began to pull the longtime stationary console backward. Like someone had said 'open sesame', pulling back _Tron_ revealed to us a secret doorway.

"Oh my _land_!" One of Felix's catchphrases immediately met our ears the second we cleared the way, the others then huddling together behind Steven and I as we stared at what was now so obviously the door we had been looking for since we got here.

"That's a User for you," Calhoun complimented behind us. I couldn't help but smile.

Slowly then, I was the first to reach out and grab hold of the door handle, twisting it down to open and reveal the dark passage downward into a tunnel. Looking down the tunnel, I saw there was another door of the same structure. Just the act of staring at it made my heart leap as I felt then just how close we were now.

"Come on, ya'll," I said then, although I stopped myself as I contemplated. "Actually, maybe a couple of you should stay out here… as guard."

"I'll stay," Ralph immediately volunteered. "I don't think I'll even fit through that little doorway, anyway."

"Haha, you're such a goof, Ralph," Vanellope chuckled then, taking note of his honesty. "I'll stay with ya, pal."

"Me too… if any Cy-bugs show up it'll take more than just Ralph's wrecking powers to keep them at bay." Calhoun sat up straight then, her blue eyes glancing down at her husband. "Felix, you go ahead and tag along with them. You'll probably come in handy if they need a healer." When she said that I couldn't help but be reminded of the dragon attack back when this had all started. Like it or not, a team needed a healer, and I found myself nodding at her suggestion for Felix to follow us.

The group came to a silent agreement then. One at a time, the rest of us, consisting of myself, Steven, Dannen, Felix, and Turbo, crept into the doorway and ventured down the steps, meeting the second doorway for only a moment before I managed to get through that one as well. After we began to filter into the second door, however, was when it really hit me that we were actually in the presence of the original Shiva Laser.

It was almost identical to the one that Steven and Dannen had recreated back at Litwak's, only instead of a new modern computer, a large and flat screen of a system from the 1980's sat directly in front of us as if it was embedded into the table—more rather, _was_ the table. Behind this computer was the laser itself, and to the side on a small desk, scattered upon the desk, remained a variety of papers of both printed and hand written in nature, and old photographs of what looked like a young Flynn and what seemed to be his little son. I recognized Flynn's face from the video I had seen on Dannen's laptop computer before it had gotten eaten by Dell the Cy-bug.

"It's all here!" Steven exclaimed, almost like he had been holding in his breath, and then let it pop like a balloon from the excitement. "There's the laser… and look, would ya bloody look at that, it must be the computer platform to the entire program portal here!"

My eyes scanned the room in more detail; I was taking in every last drop of this scene as if I were going to take it away having to remember every detail. My brother Dannen, Felix, and Turbo did the same as we all split to different sections of the room, contemplating everything themselves.

Steven continued to narrate everything he was seeing. "This computer's a touchscreen… it has to be the way to login to the system."

My hand had slipped over the many papers on the desk, my eyes lifting up to Flynn's picture and of the little boy next to him, before I began to read the notes scribbled on some of the writings. These notes were talking about scientific jargon, in what I only knew before to be theoretic physics, in a way that admitted its definite reality—realities that I had actually seen working in real time throughout my journey, such as genetic algorithms and quantum transportation. However, there were other topics that I had not heard of before, like the reality of isomorphic algorithms.

Before I could manage to ask any questions, I heard the creaking of a chair, suddenly taking notice that Steven had already taken a seat at the front of the old computer.

"Steven, what are you doing?" I asked.

"It looks like the same program sequence that I had written for our laser," he said. "Logging into the system literally means it'll trigger the gun to send us into the arcade."

"Do you know where it'll send us?"

"Hmmm… I'm not sure…" Steven replied, although while he drifted into silence, his fingers continued to tap over the touchscreen quickly as he began to monitor a series of code, and for the longest time, began to decipher the information himself as we watched and listened.

"To be honest I'm surprised this thing is even working…" Dannen admitted. "It hasn't been touched in years."

" _Actually…"_ Steven's voice drifted back into reality gradually as if he were waking up from a dream. "I'm seeing there was actually a login in 2010… someone has been here before."

"Really? Who?"

Steven was silent for a moment, the scrolling of the code on the screen reflecting in his glasses. "It was an admin login… but that can't be… Kevin Flynn is _dead_."

"You're not suggesting that this guy is still alive, are you Steven?" Felix said, not being able to help himself in joining the conversation.

"No… that wouldn't make sense either. See, the admin had been logged in _twice_ in the span of a decade. There was only one logout after the last one a few years ago in 2010, so that means two people logged in the same admin, but only one left."

My eyes glanced over towards the old picture again. For a moment my mind jumped to a random conclusion: could it have been that boy? Could it have been Kevin Flynn's son?

"We don't really have time to debate the working'th's of th'this, do we?" Turbo said as he crossed his arms over his chest in an almost impatient way. "You geek'th's have all the time in the world to figure every out once we get thi'th's over with."

"The clown's actually right." Dannen chuckled upon saying this, as if testing the waters with teasing Turbo. I'd imagine there was still some bitterness Dannen held onto as well, and it seemed to reflect within his voice along with the humor. "Let's get us all logged into the system. We can start there once we're inside and figure out some more. Maybe if the game characters remember anything, they can give us some insights."

" _Clown_?" Turbo muttered irritably, but I could see he was trying hard not to get angry. "I'm a _king_ , you th'simpleton."

"Oh really now?" Dannen got a little serious, crossing his arms over his chest, too. It was a rather comedic scene, seeing Turbo as King Candy, as short as he was, with his bright color palette, going up against my 6'2 brother with his black Yukon-rivaled beard and mustache, and dressed in his dark clothes that must've not been washed in days.

"All right, guys, everything looks ready to go. I can begin the admin login sequence and get us into the system." Steven only turned his head, as he waited for our agreement.

"Ah shit, here we go again," I mused, remembering quite vividly the first time I was shot with a laser and transported into digital space, and a second time with the Shiva Gun. I could only imagine, however, how Flynn's arcade would differ in comparison to Litwak's. These games hadn't been powered on in years, so in addition to lingering questions of all the mysteries surrounding the Shiva Laser itself, and its original creator, thoughts and ideas filtered into my consciousness about the nature of Programs.

Soon, I'd find out.

* * *

The portal's light had engulfed me, its seemingly eternal grasp on my body in actuality having let me go within the course of mere milliseconds as I opened my eyes to behold the world within Flynn's arcade. One might assume landing in _Tron_ was a given, but the information we had received before entering finally began to strike us as reality: indeed whatever game world was once here, had very much vanished.

I could not fathom a comparison of what this game may have looked like in the past, as I had never ventured into the _Tron_ game at Litwak's to make that comparison. Nonetheless, as I stood there, gazing into the dark and blackened world, I realized that whatever had been here, what Programs, cities, and structures had once existed, had vanished without a trace. If erasing code was like erasing ones existence, then this was an example.

Steven was yet again looking at his Omni-Tool, attempting to decipher all the inner workings of the blank world around us, when I began to slowly take more notice of this blank digital space which almost reminded me of the flashdrive grid I had seen. In the skies, a sequence of thunder sent flashes of lightning bolts between clouds, momentarily lighting the grid. I could see what looked like jagged rocks in the distance, and the shimmering of an eternal ocean to the north, going on miles and miles to match the solid ground around me. In the far distance, but close enough to make out, I saw a giant doorway, which reminded me of the access point I had seen during my first visit to Litwak's in _Skyrim_ , that must've lead out into the rest of the arcade.

"This is nothing like _Tron_ back at home," Felix commented then. "Ralph and Vanellope would go in it all the time to play around when the arcade closed…"

"I can imagine," I responded softly, although my eyes did not part from the view.

Steven had finally looked up from his studies, his blue eyes scanning the horizon as he began to speak, saying, "There is an exit to the arcades central point of origin." His arm lifted upward, and he pointed at the doorway I had noticed in the distance.

"You mean a game central station?" Felix inquired.

"I guess you could say that," Steven said. "We need to find out more about the nature of Flynn's laser, and in extension why he chose _Tron_ as his portal host. We need to see if any of the Programs in the other games know what happened. If I can fit the pieces together, it'll help me decide the best course of action if I were to turn the portal inside out." Steven paused for a moment, as if he was trying to come up with a more elaborate response that everyone could understand. I could see discomfort shift through his expression as he thought to himself. "Hmmm…we'll see…" he muttered afterwards.

We all started to make our way through the deserted _Tron_ system, and eventually make it to the power connection doorway. It only took us a few minutes longer from there to reach the end of it, although oddly enough, we soon found we had hit another obstacle.

Just beyond the exit was indeed a game central station of the sorts, but blocking us, like some sort of barrier, was a reddish-orange force field. It seemed to hiccup on occasion, its straight lines jagging before it would settle back down again. I watched as Dannen reached out to touch it, though when his fingertips came into contact with it, he jerked back, exhaling a quick "Ouch!" as he did so.

"What is it?" I asked worriedly, my hands falling first onto Dannen's fingers to help him if needed, although it didn't look like he had received a wound.

"It felt like it shocked me." Dannen winced. "Why is this thing here?"

"It's a firewall," Steven said in a-matter-of-fact tone. "It must've been put here to keep the _Tron_ Programs in at one point…"

"Or to keep everyone else out," I thought out loud. "Maybe it has something to do with the _Tron_ world's in-game disappearance?"

"Maybe so," Steven said, "and for a good reason, too. I don't imagine deleting _Tron_ at that point would have erased the entire arcade, but more or less whatever or whoever ventured inside could have been deleted, too."

"This is why we shouldn't game jump," Felix said, crossing his arms. "That's a big no-no, by golly."

Turbo would glare at Felix though a side-eyed glance, as if what Felix said was directly a call out to his own past actions. He chose not to give any snide remarks this time, continuing to be quiet as we all attempted to figure this out.

Steven would approach the firewall, and scan it over again. His _Mass Effect_ game item fed him a series of code, and after a minute or two, the orange force field would vanish. I felt a sense of caution as we stepped into the central access point of the arcade, the quietness of it all all-consuming to reflect its long since deserted state for what had already been a couple years now.

"Hello?" Dannen would call out first, his voice an echo to the elongated, rectangular station. Above were the usual plug-ins of all the arcades games, among us and going down left and right quite a ways. Unlike Litwak's, who had been well lit and bright, this station had a soft dreariness to it, covered in shades of greens; the reason for this was what I could see, shimmering above us to the leftward portion of the station, was a large green light, both serving as the literal lighting for the place, and indicating power was being received to the power supply.

"Should we go into the games?" Dannen asked.

"I really don't think that's a great idea," Felix said. "You remember what happened to your sister the last time? You don't know what kind of Programs are in here."

"I'm pretty sure Pac Man isn't going to shred the Users, Felix," Turbo said. "He's programmed to eat ghosts."

"Hmm, you would know," Felix huffed, turning his nose up at Turbo. I was a bit surprised that Felix, in his own way, was actually being savage, but again I had to remind myself of the reasons.

Suddenly, I began to hear footsteps. At first it was only one, but then after a few moments it was two, then four, then ten, and so on. The sounds of them all began to mesh together, reminding me of the general sound of the arcade games and its many different game voices clashing together, only this time it was the many programmed footstep clicks and clops of characters as they were emerging from their games.

As moments passed, I could finally see them. As they emerged, bits at a time, they would all quickly take notice of us in the empty station, walking up towards us shyly—cautiously, noticing us first as strangers, and then as Users the longer they looked at us. A few gasps seemed to escape a handful of their throats, when the main character from the game _Dragon's Lair_ spoke first.

"Are you the creator?" he asked, glancing between Dannen, Steven and I. I couldn't help but be mesmerized with how his character persona deferred so dramatically in comparison to the others, being a 2D drawn character and all.

"If you're asking if we're Flynn, then no," Dannen responded. "…you guys have been asleep for a really long time, do you realize that?"

"Sort of," a dark haired Program said next. She looked like a character that must've come from _Spy Hunter_. I almost immediately recognized her from having seen her on the side of her given console. "This isn't the first time we've woken up, realizing that years have passed. The first time we were shut off was when Flynn was stuck in _Tron_."

"Flynn was _stuck_ there?" I asked with surprise.

"For a long time, yes." The next answer came from Pauline from _Donkey Kong_ , although unlike her modern look, with her dark hair and red dress, her color palette resembled more of Peach's design. "The arcade did not get power again until another came along."

"How do you guys know all of this?" Steven asked then.

"We only go by rumors. That firewall was put up for so long that it kept anyone, in or out, from going into _Tron_."

"Do you know what happened to _Tron,_ as in the game?" I was compelled to ask then.

All of Flynn's arcade residents glanced at each other. Confusion, although already present, had seemed to manifest on their worried expressions by this point.

"I don't know…What happened to _Tron_?" Pauline said then, speaking for everyone as she asked back the same question.

I felt my heart and stomach twist into knots as I registered their question. It was obvious that the firewall had done its job, so there was no use in prying further when it came to the story of Flynn, the creator, and what had happened in the _Tron_ console. I decided to ask a different type of question, though.

"Did you _know_ Tron, the Program individual?" I was hoping that perhaps the firewall had once not been there. Maybe these characters knew the character, or some of the other Programs that had once lived there.

"Yes, we knew him…" the woman from _Spy Hunter_ said.

"Well…did he tell ya'll anything? Did he tell you about his game?"

"It wasn't just a game." The dark haired woman placed a hand on her cheek, her eyes glancing upward at the entryway to the long dead game, and then back down to us. "When the arcade first opened, I mean, yes it was. But that was only a part of it. The game you would normally play on _Tron_ was just something to keep the gamers happy while the creator worked on something more when he visited." She took in a sigh first before proceeding, and then said, "During those early years, when the creator left, Tron would talk to us about what he had in store. Tron said, "'the creator is going to create the perfect system.'" We never heard from him sometime after that. That was when the firewall went up."

In my mind I was trying to connect the dots, but the dots were already so vague. All I did know was that Flynn, _Tron_ (both the Program and the game), and this arcade was the focal point of all the work that had been put into the Shiva Laser's creation, and the first contact between human being, and Program.

I had been so scrambled in those moments that I had not looked out into the crowd of Flynn's residents for a few minutes by then. It was easy to do so with the relative quietness of my surroundings. Everyone was so awed by what was happening, and the news they were sharing, that it was easy to get lost in your own mind.

"At least we know now that you are all safe…" Steven said then, breaking the soft hushes of the crowd. "We have an opportunity for you all, an opportunity to help Users." His words seemed to finally stir everyone, as their quiet voices seemed to get a notch louder as discussions among themselves heightened in intensity. Looking at Steven, though, I could tell he was about to make a tough decision. "Our world is in trouble…" he began.

He told them everything. He told them about how he recreated the Shiva Laser, and when I was sent inside. He told them about the Cy-bugs, and how they got into the real world, and all the effort we had gone through to find a way to stop them. Once he got to the present, and how this plan would work, was when he paused again, taking a deep breath, and shut his eyes for a second before opening them once more.

"We need your help," Steven said, "and it's not going to be easy. There is a way out of the arcade—a way into the real world. It's obvious that we could use all your help in this fight, but it's not just that. My plan is to reverse engineer the portal, and elongate how long it remains open. The Cy-bugs, in their game, can only be stopped with beacons. While their in-game beacon destroys them, the light of the portal will not. It will only trap them. It will trap them inside, don't you see? And after I do this, nobody will have the chance to come back in."

Everyone's conversation in the crowd got even louder then, as their concerned voices increased and changed with the new information. Listening into the ocean of dialogue, I heard worried chats of leaving their games forever. I heard dreads of fighting the Cy-bugs…but most of all, I heard their uncertainty. They had been asleep for so long, waking up only to find both their worlds and the real world were meant to clash in a battle of life and death. At first I wasn't sure _what_ they were going to say, but after a long while, they soon would all come to a silent agreement.

"Staying in our games would mean nothing if the Cy-bugs win," Pauline spoke on behalf of everyone then. "We will miss our homes dearly, but there is one thing that is embedded in our codes that all of us have… the desire to be there for humans. We will fight for the Users."

A cheer, soft and meek at first, began to explode, filling the ghostly central station with life again. With their help, I knew this was going to turn the tides to our side. When the Cy-bugs did get here, we'd all be ready for them if duty called us to fight, and the portal would soon be reversed to begin trapping them all inside, and back into digital space where the viruses belonged.

Thoughts of relief and of future victory, however, were snuffed out the second I so happened to look down at Turbo. He had been silent almost the entire time now, only chiming in when he was able. I had forgotten to think of him through all this, as I was so caught up in learning about Flynn's Arcade, the laser, and how to defeat the Cy-bugs, that I didn't realize that he had been staring into a particular portion of the crowd, his mouth slightly parted and his expression skewed into what I could only describe as shock and despair. His hands were slightly lifted upwards, and next to his sides, his fingers sprawled out, and his stance solid like he was backed into a corner. Even his chest, as it moved in and out in breath, was staggering.

I found that I couldn't help but follow his gaze then. At first I could only see the big picture—the crowd of game characters, with their smiles and cheers, was the only thing I could see for the longest time. But as I looked closer in the direction that Turbo was looking, my eyes began to focus, and I found that the same shocked reaction began to fill my own heart. While I could never really know how Turbo must have felt exactly, I knew enough to realize that the sight I saw was triggering memories deep in his past, like the resurgence of something best left behind.

There, among the crowd, smiling and full of hope, and together still with his friends, as if all the horrible moments and choices that my Turbo had ever made never happened, was _himself_.

It was him left unchanged, with the racing twins in blue jumpsuits; a mirror of an alternate reality; a Turbo that my Turbo never was, and would never be.


	20. A Save to Continue.(sav)

" _Turbo…_?"

My voice was a whisper in a sea of voices, drowning out and drifting away as if ocean tides had smothered them. Even as my hand, as if having a mind of its own, attempted to reach for him, I felt like my reach was pushing against an invisible force that separated us.

He was standing right next to me, and yet I felt like we were worlds apart. It was a feeling of helplessness, but now a kind of helplessness that I had not known quite yet. It wasn't my abilities of strength or intelligence that was at a test here… more rather it was a uselessness to take his pain away. I had only seen his face for less than a split second, and yet I could see the world he once knew flash before his eyes. There was so much pain, so much regret, and so much anger…

His expression didn't change much, but as his bushy grey eyebrows curved upward, and his agape mouth closed to form a grimace, his eyes would close shut, and he would turn away.

"Turbo!" I cried his name again, this time managing to make my voice appear briefly among the chatter and clamber, but again, it seemed to disappear in the mass of words and voices from Flynn's residents around me. Steven, Felix, and Dannen had become far too busy making way around the game characters to answer questions, leaving me the only one who had seen Turbo walk away. Despite that it would have probably been wise to join them in their discussion with the other Programs, I found I simply couldn't. My heart was pulling me the opposite way—in those moments, the only thing that mattered was _him_.

My hesitancy was broken the moment Turbo disappeared back into the _Tron_ game; I suddenly found that my legs had joined my arms, and I was suddenly running after him. It was an unexplainable reaction—one where you just gave in, and didn't think of the reason why.

I had ventured into the _Tron_ entrance, and rushed down the hall, and when I reached the other side, I saw him standing there with his back facing me. As I saw him in the blank world, I couldn't help but feel how strangely vain all of it was… how vain it was that I thought I could ever hope to help him, and yet I perused anyway.

"Turbo?" I muttered.

"Don't call me that…" His voice, although soft in his response, was filled with emotion.

"What do you mean?" I asked then, taking a single step forward. "You're Turbo…that's your name."

"I'm nothing like him," Turbo said. "That's not me. That can never be me."

I was quiet for the longest time. I knew what he was thinking now; I just didn't want to believe it. More rather, I just didn't _know_ how to believe it.

"I'm not even King Candy," Turbo said then, his voice joining a sudden and far away series of thunder sequences in the dark clouds in the blank and dark game world—a game without a code; a game that had died a very long time ago. "You're brother had th'said it him'th'self. I'm not a _king_ either."

I bit my lip, hesitating to say his name now in fear of causing him further harm. "But… _I_ know you…" was all I could say.

"How can you th'say that!?" Turbo's voice blasted suddenly as he turned around to face me. His eyes glistened ever so slightly, as if he had been holding back tears, however, his grimace seemed to replace his sadness with rage as he spoke to me. "You can't possibly know me! _I_ don't even know me anymore!" His hands suddenly reached up to touch his face, putting pressure on his cheeks and causing them to become smashed as he rolled his palms over them. "I don't even know if I've always had this th's'upid li'th'sp! I had changed my code so much to fit into _Sugar Rush_ that I became a completely different person! I changed even more when that Cy-bug ate me during my last race against that brat!"

"Listen to me…" I said, placing my hands in front of me as if to gesture gently that I was trying to help. Despite this, he continued to yell.

"You act like I was never a monster! Like I never attacked you, and locked you away! Forced you to watch me actually _kill_ people, even! I am now, and never will be Turbo again, and it's because _I_ made those choices! You act like everything is going to be fine and I have done nothing wrong!"

"Nothing is _fine_!" I yelled back. I found that my own eyes had been filling with tears at that point, and my face had gotten red from frustration. "Of course nothing is fine! Everyone can pretend that things will go back to the way it all was… I do it, too! I act like things will be like nothing ever happened, but guess what, it never will! It's all a façade, you asshole! You think that I actually don't remember what you've done? What has happened to my world? What's happened to _me_?"

His own anger had finally brought out my own, but it wasn't just that. It was a frustration that I _still_ couldn't fix everything. It was an irritation with myself that here, even now when things were looking up, I would keep having to pretend to be strong. As if actually contemplating suicide wasn't obvious enough, but I suppose only Aaron had seen that dark part of me.

"There were plenty of times I felt like giving up," I said. "You have no idea what I think either, I guess. All I've done was to try and help you. I've pushed back my own feelings just so I could feel yours."

After I had spoken my last utterance, we had both become quiet. Turbo's stance had slightly softened, but only by a notch. I could see his eyes shifting around at the ground as if he were caught in thought.

"You don't want to feel what I feel," Turbo replied.

"You can… tell me anything." My voice cracked briefly before I managed to regain composure, but I'm sure my cheeks were still red, because I felt like I had a fever at that point. "King Candybug isn't here anymore. You can still continue to make choices—the right choices… but this time you won't be alone when you do it." I paused to wipe my eyes down with the back of my gloved hands. "You may not be the Turbo in that station, but you can become another. You can become your own Turbo… a Turbo who is still himself, and different from all the others, and unique in every way."

Turbo scoffed.

In my dazed series of emotion, I felt a sense of déjà vu. I soon found our conversation was a familiar one. During his time as a Cy-brid, I learned to be kind to him because I saw who he truly was underneath it all: a lost Program deprived of the love of his creators. I told him again and again, from that point forward, and in subtle ways, how I saw the potential in him. I tried so hard to help him along without realizing that I was only meeting him half way. What Turbo needed was to see all I felt about him for himself.

 _If only he knew_ , I thought. _If only he could see… how much I want to get to know him_. My heart that was at a risk of shattering soon quelled itself as I thought about him… how I felt for him—how I wanted so badly for him to wake up from whatever nightmare he had been in for so many years. I briefly had a mental flashback of seeing Steven and Chell sitting on the porch of Aaron's old house, smiling and laughing softly in those last setting hours, and how her heroism had saved Steven. I even thought about Calhoun and Felix, and how lovingly they consoled and adored each other—their bond so strong that any brokenness that the soldier woman had harbored was mended because she knew she was loved.

I pondered for what seemed like an eternity, but in my search to help Turbo, I suppressed these feelings to exchange them for words of encouragement. I found soon that I couldn't help but let off a soft chuckle as I came up with a personal metaphor, and began to explain it to him.

"For example, there are a million of other brown-haired and brown-eyed girls in the world, ya know?" I said. "But look at me… I'm my own."

"How do you even th'start over when th'so much has happened?" he asked immediately. "How do you even build your'th'self up beyond your past?"

"One code at a time, I guess." I looked up into the sky, and out into the dark grid, gesturing to the world around us. After my gaze made their rounds upon the darkness, I looked back down at him, managing a smile. "And one game at a time," I finished.

Looking back at that moment, perhaps I could have said more... But what was pain without company?

"Kailey, what's going on?" My brother's voice appeared from behind me. I found myself blinking a few times before I decided to turn around, attempting to reduce what shine I had in my eyes to hide what had happened. Turning around, I saw him standing there, behind him a crowd of game characters, and Steven and Felix helping them through the doorway and into _Tron_. They must've decided to begin leading an exodus of all of Flynn's Arcade's game characters out of the portal and into the real world.

I took in a sigh, and then said flatly, "Nothing."

Even as the mass of characters began to follow Steven and Felix out of the hall, Dannen would hesitate as he looked between Turbo and me. An obvious realization that something had indeed happened dawned on his face, but for the time he said not a word.

I knew it was time to begin to execute our plans, so I shifted gears once more and returned to the task at hand. With the Programs leaving the arcade, we'd soon get to work on what we were to do with the Shiva Laser.

As if it were a routine thing, we began to follow the crowd through the dark grid, and towards the open portal. Steven and Felix would exit first, then behind them, and one at a time, I watched as one Program after another ventured through, disappearing into the light as if they had just faded away. Little by little, like a chip-axe carving a stone, the crowd significantly diminished in size until there was none left. After they had finally been evacuated from the digital grid, was when Dannen, Turbo and I would follow after them, joining them in reality.

I instantly felt the difference in my surroundings when I transitioned from the game world and back to mine. Being greeted by the dusty old cellar with all of Flynn's old equipment, I could already see the last of the Programs venture back up the stairs and into the arcade to meet with Calhoun, Ralph, and Vanellope. It seemed everything had gone fine on their end, but of course, I cautioned myself that it was only a matter of time before we'd see Cy-bugs again. It was the nature of chaos to cause confusion, and put ones guard down.

"Steven?" I'd call out upon climbing the steep staircase, meeting the upward floor of Flynn's establishment. Some Programs crowded the inside of the arcade as they looked down at their consoles, filled with amazement like the others had done before as they came to terms with parting with their games.

I saw Steven towards the front, having directed some of the other Programs outside to make room, and approached him. Knowing that we were short on time, I got straight to business. "We need to figure out how much time we have left before we're greeted by the swarms," I reiterated.

"I know," he acknowledged, "I already managed to catch the Wi-Fi signal from a restaurant down the street. I got a connection to the local news stream waiting for us when we're ready. Maybe they are informing the populous about the Cy-bug's progression, and what the military is up to."

I saw that all the Programs had been situated by then, some outside the arcade and some waiting inside with us. With the exodus completed, my team and I gathered around Steven as he pulled up the news feed on his Omni-Tool. The hologram began to play the news for us, and we listened to the reporter carefully as she discussed what was happening.

 _"The military has received aid from actual Programs in fighting off the Cy-bug invasion_ ," she said, in which at that moment the camera that was pointed at her cut off, showing amateur footage of someone hiding behind a building, and revealing a fight between what looked like Starkiller and Master Chief from the Goliath battle, the Pikachu and Sonic I had seen briefly at the facilty, and a handful of other game characters I had yet to meet using their abilities to aid alongside the human military as they shot at and held back Cy-bugs. The oddest thing was, looking at it like I was now, it seemed that the game _Hero's Duty_ had literally become the reality of the real world, only with human guns it was difficult to even kill them. The only reason, based on watching this footage, that anybody was able to hold this off was because of the game character's help. Yes, not all game characters could kill Cy-bugs; after all, it was only specific Program attacks that could destroy them, such as a _Hero's Duty_ gun (specifically made for killing Cy-bugs) and Ralph's wrecking abilities, as his programming literally enabled him to destroy things. Other characters, while seemingly able to kill Cy-bugs, had to put more effort for the sole reasoning that their Programming was not meant to create an instant kill upon contact. For example, as I watched the footage, I took notice of Pikachu's attacks. Although powerful, it still needed to maneuver its thunder strikes to strip a Cy-bug from the air, and then Starkiller would come up to the downed virus and impale it with his twin lightsabers, shattering it.

Deep in my heart, however, I knew this couldn't last for long. I'm sure many humans had since been killed, military or civilian, and thus wasn't surprised when the news shifted again sometime after, showing a weather radar, only now modified to reveal the progression of the Cy-bugs.

" _As you can see, the Cy-bugs are staying in swarms. They travel in mass clusters at a time, staying together as they spread westward across the United States."_ The lady's voice met the visual depiction on the hologram stream as she explained, on this map of the US creating a blotch of red that would manifest on the radar to show Cy-bug activity and progression. By the looks of it, they would be literally at our doorstep within the next twelve hours. I had already seen them multiply before, so I'm sure it had gotten to the point where the forces against them could no longer hold them all back.

"Please tell me you can get that portal reversed by then?" I asked out loud, looking directly over at Steven and my brother.

Dannen had his arms crossed over his torso, a look of worry filling his face, but regardless of this he began to explain all the possibilities of our plan. "The portal can very much be reversed," he said, "but we're not entirely sure how it will react with power as a factor."

"What he means is this: the portal requires a significant amount of energy to stay open, especially so in our world. With my idea, I could theoretically make the portal stay open for a longer duration, perhaps up to a few hours, tops. However, if I'm hypothesizing this correctly, we need to time our shot when Cy-bugs are closest enough, and all of them collectively can see the portal."

"What happens if we don't catch em' all? Can't we just turn the portal back on again?" Felix asked, although despite the scary situation I laughed a little at the pun he unknowingly referenced to Pokemon.

"Heh…see that's the thing," Steven said sheepishly. "Once the portal stays open for that long, it will shut off afterwards when all the energy in the city has been depleted. This would be only temporary, as I'm sure the cities power grids will regain composure, but this could be hours…an entire day even to recover from."

"It's like timing a shot, then," Calhoun chimed in. "The nerd has a huge point here. That means we will need to corral the Cy-bug cluster somehow, and closely enough to the city to get that shot, but also not close enough to where the cities civilians will be in danger. Once those Cy-bugs see a bunch of people running around, they'll eat everything and everybody faster than an eagle swooping down to pick up a pin of fluffy bunnies."

"Easier said than done," Ralph said. "We only have one car that could possibly be fast enough to do that without getting caught!"

Literally at that second, the sound of an engine turned on. Everyone in the group looked at each other and stiffened like a bunch of petrified opossums when we all realized it was the sound of Car number 2 revving up.

"You—don't think—" I stuttered, thinking it could have been one of the Programs acting astray. However, that's when I noticed that Turbo was _no longer standing next to us_.

"Oh shit!" Dannen exhaled. We all collectively rushed out of the arcade and to the entrance. Standing there was a bunch of Programs watching in confusion as Turbo—my Turbo—was sitting in the car, revving its engine. The second we stopped in our tracks to see this was the moment he sped off, the car creating a smoke to puff up behind him, and the smell of burnt rubber to fill the air.

"Turbo!" I yelled, and pushed my body forward as if I was about to run after him, but I felt a few of my friends put their hands on my shoulders to stop me.

"There's no use in dealing with that mess anymore," Vanellope said irritably. "Typical of him to run off at a time like this. Not like it matters if those Cy-bugs eat him again anyway… they'll all go into the portal."

I felt like I wanted to say something but I couldn't. I felt like someone had stolen my voice, and I couldn't speak words anymore.

I couldn't believe Turbo had left us.

* * *

A few hours had gone by when Steven had begun to make some progress on manipulating the Shiva Laser's coding down in the basement. Dannen had been sitting with him the entire time, spilling honest opinions on the effects of what would happen once this all occurred. They'd argue for a minute or two, deciding on what action to take, and what thing needed to be fixed, before they'd add commands to the programming sequences.

"This is going to create a time-space rift," Dannen would say. "Seeing Flynn's notes for myself, it's starting to make sense…" He began to scribble a series of pictures on a blank page of notebook paper, creating a diagram that resembled all of the grid concepts that Flynn had referenced to plenty of times among the other documents. Here on Dannen's depiction, however, he delivered a concept I saw mostly shown in artistic renderings that somebody like NASA would produce.

"Okay, so we all know how one would depict gravity; a planet would hypothetically weigh down on space-time as you can see here," he said, scribbling some more, drawing a circle to refer to planet Earth, and creating a weight underneath it like a pebble pressing down on a paper towel. He then started drawing another 'grid' underneath that. "The Shiva Laser, on the other hand, doesn't just cut this rift…it's almost like it melds it together. The portal itself is just the focal point that physical matter and information can directly pass through, like Programs and human beings."

"That would explain the manner of Program distribution into the real world," Steven mused, sitting back in the chair for a moment to contemplate. "All higher dimensions, including our own you could argue, exist all at once. It's our perception that isn't able to see it all, like you would see… say, the progression of time in a linear way, or a 4D, or 5D object in our 3D world that's comprehensible."

"Yeah, right… so this melding together brings all dimensions on a same linear platform or as Kevin Flynn would probably say, a grid."

"Sounds a lot like multiverse or string theory."

"It pretty much is."

"And all dimensions coming together like this have made it all equal—makes them all known, and present. So do you think more game characters could have survived?"

"I wouldn't doubt it at this point. The portal opening back at Litwak's may have gotten destroyed, but it happened when the portal was _on_."

"Okay, so what do you think happened to _Tron_ , then?"

"The code was erased, obviously."

"Yeah, but would that effect its nature of distribution, too? Like… good God, thinking about it now is blowing my mind. The system was erased of any living Program."

"You just said it… Flynn's _Tron_ was erased after that admin logout—but not Litwak's. For example, does code disappear after you log off? Smash a computer maybe?"

"Eh…theoretically? But not really?"

"Exactly, my dude. The difference between _Tron_ and Litwak's Arcade was that _Tron's_ code was deleted, while Litwak's games were just physically destroyed. Considering the nature of distribution of the portal, that means we have a lot to unload."

"Not to get metaphysical on you, Dannen, but do you think that explains… I don't know… _life after death_?"

"In my studies I read about a physicist who thinks he actually discovered that reality's physical blueprints are kept safe, per say, in a quantum realm of some kind—they call the phenomenon Orchestrated Objective Reduction. So if my sister saw that the grid expressed not only her 'code' all in her humanity, and physically was able to manipulate Turbo's, then we very well could be onto something here."

"Okay so don't get me started on whatever Flynn was talking about with isomorphic algorithms."

"Would you nerds just work on the portal for Code's sake!?" Vanellope blasted suddenly, causing Dannen and Steven to jump slightly in their seats. "I feel like my ears are going to melt off from hearing you guys talk like a bunch of weirdos."

"I admit… their ideas are interesting," Calhoun said. "Vanellope's got a point, though. Move on boys, we don't have a whole lot of time." She had been standing the entire time, leaned against the door of the basement entrance. Outside, and up the staircase into the arcade, we could hear some soft chatter of Flynn's residents talking amongst themselves still as the voices of Felix and Ralph popped up occasionally among the conversations in attempt to answer questions, and keep the other Programs updated.

I, on the other hand, had been sitting to the side of Flynn's desk. My ears had caught everything my brother and Steven had said, with their strange explanations of reality and hinting at different scientific theories and all, but at the same time my mind had been elsewhere. Here I was, in the midst of greatness, and leaps in both human technology and thought, but in the end, I could only think about _him_ …

_I could only think about Turbo._

Everybody was so busy and invested in our current events, so it was easy to understand why I had slipped under their radar, and had been left alone. Just thinking about all these weird concepts of life, death, and code just made my withheld feelings create dread that increased tenfold.

Had I said something wrong? What was it that made Turbo decide to leave? I couldn't help but look inward on whether or not this was my fault. On top of it, Turbo leaving had created another division in any possible reformation he could have had with the others. Car number 2 was the only vehicle we had to travel together with on top of it all, and now that we were left stranded I was wondering what would happen next.

Steven had steered his focus the second Calhoun had hinted at urgency, and continued to tap his fingers quickly over the touchscreen, and delete, add, and manipulate codes to reshape the nature of the Shiva Laser. From what I could tell simply by looking, a significant amount of progress had already been made, and looking at the screen from my perspective there were now so many added sequence commands and modifications that the system was no longer the system of Kevin Flynn, the creator, but had become our own.

A few more taps of added code, and suddenly I saw the Shiva Laser's gun tip upward at the ceiling, although it stopped the second it reached a clean straight angle.

"All right, it should be ready…" Steven said.

"Shouldn't ya test it?" Vanellope walked up beside Steven, and began peering at the touchscreen as best as she could, her small height only allowing the top of her nose to look over the desk.

"I wouldn't advise it." Steven scooted back in his seat a little, looking over towards the Shiva Laser that had moved upon his newly added additions to the system. "The portal opening under here may very well harm the structure of the building…and if not that, then it will definitely eat up all the power in the city in a short time. We have to wait until the Cy-bugs are here to expand our net."

"You are positive that the portal will work as a beacon, then?" Calhoun asked.

"Positive. The only problems are what you heard me and Dannen discussing a few minutes ago. When the Cy-bugs go in, we can't just destroy the portal or the arcade. We have to go in and either unplug the _Tron_ system, severing them from ever getting out again, or delete their code. Whatever is easiest. The firewall is reestablished beyond the _Tron_ system, so it's impossible for them to leave the game itself and into the other arcade games."

"I see…" Calhoun put a hand in her hair, and swept her blonde bangs back, which only caused the strands to tumble back forward, and softly land back on the side of her face and forehead after she did so. "So we all know you two will need to be here to shut off or delete the Cy-bugs once they are all trapped inside the digital grid. But how do you suppose we'll corral all those things here in the first place? Do you want to split up?"

"That's not a great idea at this point," Dannen began to explain. "There are millions of people in this city, and on top of it you have yourselves to look out for. I'd imagine a lot of these Programs are more than capable of fighting, but if we don't have to, I don't want to."

"After what happened to Chell…" Steven's voice came out almost in a whisper as he tried to withhold painful memories. "I don't want anyone else getting shattered. All Programs, whether you like it or not, are unstable outside of your games. We can use the help to keep stray Cy-bugs at bay, but my goal at this moment is to get all Cy-bugs preoccupied and attracted to the beacon."

"Okay, then who does what, genius?" Vanellope put a hand on her hip, while her opposite hand took one of the pink strings on her hoodie and twiddled it in her fingers.

"Well, see… that's the problem," Steven began to admit, chuckling nervously. "If we had Car number 2…"

"That good for nothing, slimy nutbar!" Vanellope scoffed. "See! I knew all along we shouldn't have trusted King Candy! When we needed something the most, he goes and takes off with it."

After her fuss, nobody seemed to disagree with her. There was quietness in the room as we all looked to the floor to avoid each other's gaze.

"No use in crying about it," Calhoun said, sighing irritably. "We just got to think of another way to get someone out there to act as a lure to get the Cy-bugs in range."

I heard her, but my eyes were still adrift, staring at the floor and its many unique marks and blemishes. My mind fell immediately on the Light Cycle that had been sitting in my boot for God knows how long, and of course the lightsaber that hung at my belt. I thought around to other alternatives first, my mind drifting to other possibilities of using a human civilian's car, but always came back to the Light Cycle. The game item would be the best and fastest thing to use to get the Cy-bug's attention and lead them to the outskirts of the city so they could see the beacon.

"Rachel always did tell me to keep a Light Cycle in my boot," I said, a smile crossing my lips for a second.

I felt Dannen look up at me. "You still have that thing?!" he exclaimed. "Then that settles it… I'll go and get the attention of the Cy-bugs."

"Whoa there, bro, Calhoun literally just said you and Steven need to be here to work fast enough to lock in the Cy-bugs. Calhoun, Ralph, Felix, and Vanellope will work best here to protect civilians, the building itself, and the Programs outside that might not be able to fight."

"Oh, so _you're_ going to do it then?" Dannen responded in a joking, non-serious manner, but when I didn't answer, his tone changed quite instantly. "Wait, Kailey, please don't! You couldn't possibly—"

"—I've literally done worse, Dannen," I cut him off irritably, taking a stand from my seated position next to Flynn's desk, and walked over towards him, standing behind Steven's chair. "You know this is the only way. I've survived plenty so far, and I'm not going to stop until this shit is over with."

Steven turned his head, which caused him to spin his entire chair around to face me. Concern seemed to fill his blue eyes, from behind his black-rimmed glasses a shimmer creating a diversion of light that seeped from the computer monitor beside, and around him. "Kailey…something's wrong," he said. "You don't sound like yourself."

"What are you expecting me to say? Oh, we'll find another way? I don't have to do it?"

"Dannen told me before about seeing you and Turbo in _Tron_ before we logged out of the system." Steven's next sentence caught me off guard. I hadn't realized that my brother had shared that with him. While he hadn't been my friend before all this started, I could tell he was starting to care about the lot of us, including me. "What did he say to you?"

"Nothing." I shrugged, but I'm sure it came off as irritable still. "He told me nothing."

Dannen took a look at both Vanellope and Calhoun, who had been standing sternly in the room with us and had been listening. My brother took a moment to straighten himself up before he said, "Ladies, would you mind if we had a word with my sister? Alone?"

Vanellope looked over at the tall soldier, their eyes glancing at each other in a silent agreement when the two began walking with each other up the staircase, and out to the arcade with the others. After the sound of their footsteps ceased to echo in the stairwell, Dannen gently shut the door, and then turned to look at me, Steven remaining in his seat and doing the same.

"I hoped that would help…" Dannen said. "They don't particularly like Turbo, so maybe it'll be easier to talk this way."

"You think?" I scoffed. "You don't either, obviously."

"Yeah, of course I don't," Dannen replied. "He _locked me in a cage_ , for Christ's sake! He kidnaped you and pretended you were like…his pet or something!"

"That's not the real Turbo," I stated flatly. "It never was."

Steven sat forward in his seat, allowing his elbows to rest on his knees as he spoke up next, saying, "You've obviously had more time to talk to him. I've seen the way he looks at you. How he latches onto you… While you were asleep in Car number 2 before we got here, I hadn't seen him look so determined to help us before." He paused, taking in a deep breath of air, and then exhaled it gently. "But I still don't understand why he'd leave us, either."

Steven's sympathy was starting to calm me down. I felt my irritation start to fall from my shoulders as I removed my arms that had been wrapped around my body, and let them slip to settle my palms on my hips. "I don't either…" I muttered. "He had seen something in the game central station, but I thought…maybe…"

"What did he see?" Steven asked.

"There's another _TurboTime_ in here." I paused as my mind wrapped around the concept. "He saw himself. He saw what he was… before he made a series of bad choices."

"Kailey." Dannen placed a hand on my shoulder, sympathy flowing from his expression as he looked at me. "I know all of this is startling, to say the least. I see why you feel the way you do. When I first figured all this out during my time in that cage, I realized how horrible a concept like this is, and how many other game characters have almost lost themselves to our ignorance. But when it comes down to it, you don't have to be his hero. You don't have to run after him all the time, and you certainly never had to volunteer to be his supervisor to keep the others happy."

"Imagine how it must've been." I turned my head to Dannen, looking over his face. He was my little brother; my best friend. I felt I could tell him anything and he'd be able to understand me. "Imagine being created, and having your one purpose in life taken from you. Video game characters, whether we like it or not, are made to be loved. When we forget… when we step away, and entertain ourselves with a new game, or toy or whatever, we abandon them. Don't you see that?"

The guys were quiet as they contemplated my statement. My brother, already drenching with sympathy, began to show further concern on his face. Steven sat up then, watching the both of us as we stood there.

"When we turn on the beacon, we will be fighting for all of them," Steven said. "The world has gone through a shift. What was unknown will be known, and our worlds will heal each other." His words came off more as a declaration than it did a statement. "Kailey, we have your back. Please know that. But don't risk your life to save him. If you go out there to lure those Cy-bugs, you need to do it with the big picture in mind. What we're doing today is going to save millions of people _and_ Programs. He made his choice already… you need to let it go."

"I know," I said. I felt my eyes sting briefly as if I was going to start crying again, but I held them back. "I still want to do this. I _have_ to do this."

My brother took me into a big, tight hug. Steven, who had already been standing up, ventured over towards us as well, and wrapped his arms around both me and my brother. For the time, I would clear my mind and live in the moment. I had been around people who had cared for me, and supported me. Sometimes I felt alone in all of this, but realizing I had a player 2 and 3 at my side, it made all the difference.

Yet, deep in the back of my mind, after knowing what I had to do, Turbo's last expression lingered in my mind, leaving an imprint of a moment lost to me. I wasn't sure what choices he was going to make now, but I had to put faith that everything would work out for the better.

* * *

"Testing, testing—Kailey can you hear me?" Steven's voice filtered from the _Hero's Duty_ radar and com-link I had been carrying with me. Steven was able to connect the Omni-Tool to the device, which would allow him to be my spotter, of the sorts, when I ventured out to face the Cy-bugs.

"Yeah, it works," I replied, an amused grin forcing itself across my lips. I thought it was funny that Steven had the ability to be so serious and deep, but at the same time become a nerd on command.

We were standing outside on the street in front of Flynn's Arcade. Around us were quite a few Programs watching on the sidewalks as Steven and I stood in the middle of the road, preparing for the moment we had been planning for. In my right hand, I held the Light Cycle in its dormant stick-like state, and on my belt, in addition to the lightsaber game item, we had managed to create a buckle to hold the _Hero's Duty_ radar in place on my person as well. It was kinda funny when Steven handed me a _Hero's Duty_ pistol on top of it all.

"Do you think that's a little much?" I asked, allowing him to plop the weapon into my free palm. "Any more items and I'll be over-encumbered." I found myself laughing slightly from my joke.

"Hey, _Hero's Duty_ weapons kill Cy-bugs. It might come in handy." Steven paused for a moment after justifying himself, and then began referring back to his Omni-Tool to check out the progression of the Cy-bugs. "By the looks of it, the swarms will be here shortly. I suggest you head to the east-side of the city, where the open freeways will give you better room to be spotted."

"Yeah, I know. I'm not dumb."

"I'm sorry," Steven said, "I just worry is all."

"Hey, I promise I'm not going to die on you," I chuckled, hiding my nervousness of course, but in a way that attempted to divert Steven's negative feelings. "There will be plenty of time to get to know each other after all this is over."

"Yeah, you're right." Steven sighed. "Just, be careful, please."

In some ways I wished there was something else I could have said to him. 'Careful' was such a simple term, but carried so many connotations within it. Is a loved one really careful on their drive to work every morning? Is a child careful not to get caught up with bullies, or a beetle careful to not get eaten by a crow?

"I'll try," I said. I felt like those words, as they slipped between my teeth, began to unveil lies. I didn't know what was going to happen, let alone be able to control the bad when it did come for me. I could only hope that being a User… being a person fighting for the right thing was enough.

"Go then." Steven reached out to me one last time, and took me into a hug once again. For a moment I sat in his embrace, although only able to focus on its end, as if my mind was preparing itself for the moment I was let go, and sent off to do what I had promised. Once that moment did come to pass, and I was left alone on the street to begin my journey to face the Cy-bugs, did I come to accept that feeling of physical and mental separation.

For the first time in weeks, I would truly be facing these monsters alone, but it was a burden I was proud to bear. To me, as I stood alone on the road, looking over to see my friends, and the many Programs we had freed from the arcade, I felt like I could do anything. To think I had been living my life in normalcy for so long without realizing what I was capable of; so much untapped potential that I, and even the entirety of humanity possessed. To call myself a User, as the Programs would refer to us humans as, was an honor.

I took my time looking upon Flynn's building and the Program's, my brother, and friends among them. Ralph and Vanellope waved lightly at me, uncomfortable for my task, but kind much in the same a friend would do when wishing you luck goodbye. Calhoun stood there in a way that would suggest sternness and an expression of unfazed apathy, but I saw how she held tightly onto Felix's hands, an embrace giving away the worry that she perhaps carried within herself. Even Steven and Dannen, with their game-items at a ready for the task, looked at me with a mixture of determination and caution. This was it. This was the moment we had all been waiting for—the finishing line to our race—the save point into our future.

My eyes skipped over the crowd, taking notice of Pauline, and other notable characters we had spoken to in the arcade. Standing there as well, I even saw Flynn's Turbo and the blue racing twins, distracted among themselves like average spectators. This Turbo, who still looked the way he was supposed to, and had not become King Candy, was forever blissfully unaware of the shortcomings of his twin that had lost his way.

 _A Turbo I'd never know,_ I thought. It was a brief thought, but being reminded of him—my Turbo— for a moment pulled me out of reality, with it a mixture of emotions of anger, sorrow… and something else pulling at my chest that it would take then great effort to wake myself up, and pull me back into the task at hand. Leaving that feeling was like leaving water and rising up to take a breath of air as if I had been holding it. I sighed deeply, closing my eyes then to focus on myself and what I felt around me: the touch of a soft wind on my face, the hug of the thick and sturdy racing suit around my body, and the smell of a distant storm lingering and preparing itself somewhere in the atmosphere grounded me into the moment.

I lifted both arms upward and straight forward in front of me, grasping the Light Cycle in both hands. I began to imagine the world that was at first, but then what it _could_ be—a world, perhaps, when this was all over, where Programs and Users could help each other, heal, and bring out the best in each other. Even as I looked upward at the cloudy skies, my internal vision did not mirror the clouded world before me.

I began to run, picking up pace quickly as I ran across the road before Flynn's Arcade, and like magic, the Light Cycle began to form beneath me, blinking to life with its bright white light as the rumble of its engine purred upon its awakening. It then carried me away so quickly that it forced my focus to return from my mind, and on the road in front of me. Even in its speedy state, I maneuvered the empty streets like I was playing some of my most beloved video games growing up. The twist of my wrist as I steered, and the tightening muscles in my body were so natural to me as I navigated that I almost forgot to even feel the wind on my face.

Navigating eastward, I passed the many homes, buildings, and gardens I had seen on my way in, but this time they simply became part of the background. Like I had left behind my friends, I needed but only to keep the image of the real world in the back of my mind to push me forward. I even imagined Turbo, wherever he was, as a force to keep me going.

Soon the silver glow of the city would become part of my background too as I found myself arriving on the open highways, where beyond me the land on either side of the road continued far and wide with a flat surface of both green brush, and brown rocky sands. I had reached a certain point there, out in the open, when I began to slow the Light Cycle down and come to a stop to stabilize myself, looking upward toward the eastern skies. I could hear the soft rumble of thunder as my only greeting as I sat there, waiting for the moment when the Cy-bugs arrived.

I looked down at my radar, where initially I would see nothing. The _Hero's Duty_ radar obviously wasn't picking any activity up just yet, due to its reach, but I wasn't going to get comfortable.

Initially, static overcame the com-link as my connection with Steven was established. After a few moments, the signal would clear, and Steven's voice suddenly accompanied me. "Kailey, I see you are at the far eastward side of the city limits," he said. "That should be a good spot to wait for them to see you. Are you ready for this?"

"I am." My response came out calmly, despite how my heart was racing.

"If I'm not mistaken, you can utilize the Light Cycle's abilities here in the real world. You can trigger a light sequence to trail behind you, which would be a perfect way to attract the Cy-bugs to see and follow you as you move. Once you get close enough to the city, I'll trigger the portal to open to show into the real world."

"Almost forgot about that one," I mused. "That'll be interesting to see."

"Kailey!" Steven didn't respond to me; instead his voice exclaimed in urgency. "I'm picking up a signal from the swarm. Do you see them? They're coming!"

I looked up into the skies. I narrowed my eyes to peer harder into the horizon, not quite noticing them yet, but soon, like the trickle of rain, they began to appear. All but black, distant dots to begin as they revealed themselves, I slowly began to hear their distant hums of their collective wings beating behind their backs. A soft glow began to overtake the bottom of the clouds as they came, rendering what yellow light that peered from the sunlight blocked above, and replacing it with an eerie emerald glow to cast itself under the storm clouds.

My teeth grit together as I watched them approach. All the suffering they had caused—all the setbacks they had forced of me and my friends—it was all going to end soon. I felt like my fear paled in comparison to my fury.

I was patient as they approached, unmoving, and filled with a stubborn bravery that I had not known I possessed. Even as their hums got louder and louder, the sounds of their dread replacing the world around me with their artificial tyranny, like they viruses they were, I reached for the lightsaber on my belt, lifted it high above me, and ignited its blue blade.

As the blue light of the lightsaber and the white light of the Light Cycle beneath me shed its rays around me, blocking the green hue from seemingly touching myself and the road directly beneath me, I could see it then—the many green eyes of the Cy-bugs, all shifted in unison to my presence.

I sheathed the lightsaber, and hung it back on my belt, and revved the Light Cycle before I sped back towards the city. There was a switch I had not used before that I hit then, generating the white light lines like in the game to travel behind my Light Cycle, remaining and lingering on for at least a good few yards behind me as I traveled.

The Cy-bugs were quick then. I could hear them approaching fast like a wave behind a ship, but with every pace they caught up to me, I revved the Light Cycle to travel faster down the open and straight highway, leaving them lacking and still two paces behind. I could hear some of them attempt to attack the Light Cycle's light beam that it trailed behind itself, breaking almost like glass as they ate at the solid light like a beast gnawing on ice. From behind me, I could hear their coding trigger a series of transformations as they ate the light beam material, however, when one slipped to the side of my gaze, I saw it was merely a cosmetic change, and their dark, metallic-like forms had shifted to a white exterior, and their eyes began to become overcome with white as well to snuff out the green.

I was going fast at that point, seemingly out racing the Cy-bugs behind me. However, I had not foreseen their cunning in this moment, when one of the Cy-bugs flanked me then.

I saw it appear quickly to my right, as if it had made a specific tactic to fly from the north instead of collectively from the east like the others. I felt my arm's muscles tighten as I tried to control my steering, at that moment having no choice but to let off the gas in order to regain my composure. However, being flanked at that moment wasn't the only thing that had taken me by surprise. As the Cy-bug passed me and made a large turnaround to my left, I could see it—I couldn't believe it.

It was Dell.

I recognized that black and silver color pattern anywhere. Dell was the Cy-bug that had been on my tail for the longest time, and I saw that it was still keeping up that role quite nicely. Even as it passed in front of me again, as if it was a taunt to get me to lose control, I could for a split second see the 'Dell' insignia on its forehead catch the light of my Light Cycle, and shine in my eyes.

At that time, I was so close to the point where Steven would start up the portal, but still too far to make that happen. The city was like a distant sign of hope, just out of reach, when it happened…

Dell returned again, flanking me once more on my right, and snagged the front wheel of the Light Cycle, causing me to lose control.

The collision happened so quickly. I felt like I was lucky to have survived due to my one off choice of slowing down just enough to prevent the wreckage from proving fatal. On top of it, the racing suit I had been wearing since arriving at Turbo's castle, helmet and all, protected me when I skid and rolled on the road, and then into the dirt off the highway.

My vision became dizzy and distorted as I fought off the pain my body suddenly expressed as I landed motionless on the ground. Despite this, I could still but only helplessly watch as my Light Cycle tumbled forward, flying past me even after I had fallen off, exploding and shattering then into millions of tiny pixilated glass-like fragments and cluttering the highway in its blue colors.

After that came the Cy-bugs.

I watched them from a distance as some of them swarmed the pile of pixilated material like a bunch of savage dogs surrounding a dead animal. To the other side of where I had crashed, and the opposite way of the highway, what Cy-bugs managed to latch onto the remains of the Light Cycle's light beam began to consume what remained stabilized and expressed in the real world, one after another, a handful more shifting in color to match the change that the added coding declared within themselves.

I felt dread filling my heart as I laid their motionless, unable so suddenly, to do what I set out to do.

I had hoped that Steven would turn on the portal then, but as moments passed it never happened. Instead, I heard his voice filter through the com-link at my belt.

"Kailey?!" Steven exclaimed. "What's wrong?! I see you've stopped driving! What's going on!?"

I could barely lift my finger to touch the com-link at my belt, let alone grab it and bring it to my mouth to speak into. As the moments ticked by in agony, I honest to God hoped he would just turn on the portal. I didn't know if I had taken the Cy-bug swarms close enough or not, but it was definitely not the prime location I had wanted to be in to trigger our plans.

"S—shit…" I stuttered softly. Was this really it? Was all my hope, and faith in our plans, and in myself for nothing? Did I seriously just screw up this bad?

I could see Dell then, flying high in the sky as the Cy-bugs began to swarm around, now not having a direct point of light to follow and keep them preoccupied. As I watched Dell fly around, making his turn from high up and then back down towards me, I found that what strength I had went into pulling my hands into fists as I expressed anger of the situation—anger of that stupid virus.

"We should've killed you when we had the chance." My body shivered as I felt that anger I held in my fists evaporate into my entire body. How ironic that it was that I had gotten this far and yet tripped at the finish line. Yet, I wouldn't go out fading away so easily. If I was going to go out, it would be loud and fighting.

 _It's the end of the line for me,_ I thought. I felt what adrenaline already pumping through me become more intense, filling my body with energy—an energy powerful enough, despite my pain, to sit up and grab the _Hero's Duty_ gun Steven had given me, and lift it upward towards the skies.

Dell flew ever closer from above and downward towards me— I wouldn't falter my feelings of focus and hatred for them. If I was going to die, I wasn't going to die a coward. I thought back to all the times I had felt like giving up to these monsters, and the times they had killed people around me. I remembered Chell, Kohut, Aaron… the ones taken too soon, and unnecessarily.

Yes. _Such unnecessary violence,_ I thought.

My senses were starting to find its equilibrium at that moment as I finally began to hear and see just how much and how truly it was so that I was in the midst of my enemies. Dell was making a comeback at me now, diving down towards the ground where I sat with its jaws wide open, and unleashing a loud screech as it fell closer and closer. My aim was steady as adrenaline kept me focused on him, fear all but being replaced by the desire to fight.

I pulled the trigger, hitting the Cy-bugs mouth.

And again…and again…

The Cy-bug got nearer.

With every hit I placed in its mouth, I imagined its life gauge declining. The _Hero's Duty_ pistol wasn't as powerful as its riffle counterpart, but I knew it was working. Dell's excruciating screams were getting loud now as it got closer, with every blink its form arriving towards me at breakneck speeds from its once high ground.

So close, that its screams scraped my eardrums like a thousand tiny insects eating at my hearing.

 _Boom_! One. _Boom_! Two.

Sparks erupted in the Cy-bugs mouth then, and suddenly it shattered. Right before me, like a firework had gone off, it's shattered remains scattered in front of me, and passed over and around me, dispersing onto the tan and rocky sands around and becoming partially buried as an instant gust of wind swept over the world. After the explosion and resolution of Dell's death, the sound of the other Cy-bugs around me returned to my senses as my point of focus was taken away.

I was now faced with the reality that there was absolutely no possibility I was going to make it out alone now.

"Steven." My finger had hit the com-link then. It would only be a matter of time before one of the Cy-bugs decided to attack me. "Trigger the portal."

"Kailey, what's happening!?" Steven said.

I thought of what I was going to tell him. In those instant moments of uncertainty, my mind raced through so many different words that it would be impossible to describe my train of thought. One for sure fact, though… that one truth I was prepared to say, was that _I had lost_.

A Cy-bug would land harshly in front of me then, seemingly shaking the ground with a thud as its many insect-like legs struck the rocky terrain.

"I'm not—" I was going to tell him, but found I was suddenly cut off. Listening to the Cy-bugs' wings pound around me, and even from the one in front of me, a different hum began to mix in with theirs. Even as a bright yellow light began to peer from the other side of the highway, clashing with the many green, and white glowing eyes from the Cy-bugs, I felt a sense of disassociation as if it was too good to be true.

_Steven and the others wouldn't be coming after me, would they?_

I felt horrified that they'd go out of their way to help me when they were needed at the arcade with the portal.

I saw it then, though, that the hum of this alternative rumble appeared to grow louder as the lights met the sound in equal orchestrated unison. So quickly, as if merely blinking would have made me miss its approach, I saw Car number 2 ram violently into the Cy-bug that had landed in front of me, causing the virus to flail to the side and plummet across the ground. The car, stopping in front of me, forced my focus to land on its sides—the teams name 'The Game Enders' became my focal point that I latched onto in those moments of uncertainty.

I looked to the driver's door, just as it swung open, revealing the driver within.

"Kailey!" I heard _him_ gasp as he rushed out of the car, and to my side to lift my upper body off the ground and towards him. It was like I was in a dream, not so much due to the wreck and fight I had just endured, but because of who it was.

"It's you," I mustered softly. Strength was barely my ally at that moment as the rush of adrenaline left me, but still, just looking at him I felt like my ability to go on was as sure as the sun's presence behind the rain clouds above me.

"Turbo."

"Yeah… th'that's my name," Turbo said, his tone soft to meet mine. I could see a shine in his eyes—a confidence that I had not yet known of him to revel in.


	21. Racecar Hero.(tiff)

Though chaos erupted around me, I found that I had overcome it all. The hand that extended towards me not only reached out in my moment of imminent death, but also appeared metaphorically in a sense of yet again bringing me out from within myself. Like a shroud had been parted, he stood there like a ghost—a figure that I at first thought wasn't in actuality there, yet despite my denial, he was physically standing before me in what I had once thought to be my final breathing moments.

_"Turbo."_

His name had left my mouth so easily.

His response, however, mirrored my statement. It was soft, but sure, as if he had time to come to terms with it.

_"Yeah… th'that's my name."_

At first there was a tad of meekness to his acknowledgement, but after those words left his mouth I saw that what modesty he had seemed to rise off of him like steam, and become replaced with a confident smirk. The shimmer I could see in his eyes—the confidence he produced, was like nothing I had quite seen before. To compare him as he was now to what he had been hours ago—for the entirety of the previous time I've known him even—paled in comparison. I had seen him first as a monster…a great shadow of his former self, and yet now I felt I was no longer looking into the eyes of King Candybug or the character King Candy any longer, but the real Turbo himself. From behind his King Candy façade, and his deep brown eyes that mirrored my own, I could see him clearly now.

"We better get out of here," he quickly said next.

As if I had rehearsed this moment hundreds of times, I didn't hesitate to take his hand as our palms came clashing together. With his help I was able to reach the _Destruction Derby 64_ racecar, jump into the passenger's seat, and watch as he quickly took the wheel after I sat down. The engine immediately revved upon Turbo's presence. Shifting the vehicles gears, and stepping on the gas, we then sped off towards the city.

Every Cy-bug's eyes were then on us as we made our move. Even through the loud roars of the demolition racecar's accelerating engine, I could hear them behind us—the deep hum of their wings clashing like countering tones between the rumble of our procession like opposites: one carrying with it life, the other bringing death.

Our speed increased by the second…40...60...90…100…120…

My eyes shifted to the rearview mirror, seeing even in our speed that the Cy-bugs were ravenous with their pursuit against us, clawing at the air as they flew forward. So close, we had only a few more miles to go to close in on the city, and close enough before the portal sequence could trigger.

Despite the soreness of my accident from before, I felt I had enough strength to act. I had to do _something_.

Holding the _Hero's Duty_ pistol in my left hand, I used my right to situate my helmet on, as if preparing myself, and then without another word I started rolling down the window. Turbo could only glance at me before I stuck myself out of my newly created opening, aimed, and then started firing at the Cy-bugs. I watched as a few bullets struck somewhere into the roaring wave of viruses behind, one after another hitting a random target before they'd shift mindlessly, reminding me of a series of complex rotating mechanisms on a wall or platform.

 _CRACK!_ I finally landed my first significant shot, hitting a Cy-bug's eye and causing it to stumble in its flight as it fell back behind the mass swarm, disappearing into the crowd of its kin like a stone falling into ocean waves. I blasted a few more shots into the swarm before I heard that dreaded click sound that warned me that I was out of ammo.

 _Where's an infinite ammo cheat code when you need one_ , I thought irritably. I cast the pistol behind my back carelessly and into the backseat, rolled up the window, and returned my attention to the rearview mirror, very much anticipating to continually see the giant mass of hell gathering behind us, but instead seeing one of the white-eyed Cy-bugs suddenly catch up, breaking forward from the crowd, and reach out towards the car.

"Shit—" I barely felt like I was able to register what was happening before the Cy-bug disappeared from the rearview, and into our blind spot _on top of the car_.

The excruciating sound of slams and metallic screeches mixed into the chaotic symphony of the Cy-bug swarm's flight, and the roar of the racecar's engine, when the white Cy-bug began to attack at the top of the car. I took a look at the dash of the car myself, taking notice of the car's life gauge depicted in the shape of green lines that created the car's shape, and within a series of bars ranging from green to red to signify where we were on health. Turbo had already taken a hit initially when he saved me, and by the time I saw it after already being attacked by the new Cy-bug on our rooftop, I watched as one bar vanished, then another. In addition to this I could feel the car being lifted upward and off the ground, the feeling of minor G-forces overcoming my body from the speed and in the way we were being lifted from the road so abruptly.

Again, I was acting on the spur of the moment when another idea instantly flashed into my mind. Out of a pure fight response organized by my unrestrained will, I waited a few more punches from the Cy-bug striking the vehicle before I found that it had ripped a portion of the roof off. The second this happened, I focused all the physical strength I could muster, with adrenaline returning as my ally, and ignited the lightsaber game item I had been carrying with me.

"What are you doing!?" Turbo yelled, but before he could even finish his question about my motives, I had already launched myself and the lightsaber upward and at the Cy-bug's belly that hovered over us. My mind seemed to muffle out its screams in a manner of disassociation as the weapon impaled it and began to gut it open as its speed weakened. Pixels started to fall onto my shoulders before it finally flailed back into the swarm behind us, letting the car fall back down to the road with a thud.

I sheathed the lightsaber then, letting go and watched as the hilt fell to the floorboard. I felt all the energy I had left leave me at that moment as I fell back into my seat, managing to only grab hold of the _Hero's Duty_ com-link.

"Ka—Kailey!? Are you—there!?" Steven's voice was still flowing through the communicator, static muffling and delaying his voice.

_We were so close._

"Hold on just a little longer!" Turbo yelled. The racecars engine revved again as Turbo stepped on the gas, regaining what speed we lost. Two stray Cy-bugs attempted to flank us on both sides this time, the one to our left coming at us first when Turbo shifted the vehicles gears once again, sending the car sideways as the tires held onto and screeched against the concrete road. As my head fell backwards from the sheer force of the turn, I kept my eyes peering through the windshield, watching as his maneuvering of the car made the Cy-bug miss us by just a hair. Even so, the car continued to spin.

I found myself closing my eyes as they began to water from the force called upon my body, grabbing hold of the seats leather in order to ground myself. I could only hear as the second Cy-bug came at us, and feel as Turbo did something else spectacular with the car as more force moved me around and distorted my senses. From just feeling and listening, I realized that we had not been hit by the second Cy-bug, and instead felt the car shift gears again as we continued speeding forward.

"Ha! Turbo-Tastic!" Turbo actually sounded like… he was enjoying this?

Opening my eyes was like I was trying to rip myself away from my own weakness, but it was necessary now, more than ever. I managed to look down at the radar then, seeing that the area that Steven had marked for me had come into view. Next, my eyes shifted to the rearview, and then towards the windshield within a split second. The image of the shining city before me clashed with the still image of the horde of viruses behind us like two snapshots had melded together, one my waking world and the other a nightmare to be left behind, fading from my mind's eye as I regained my focus, and returned to the race presented to me, then and there.

This was game over… but it wasn't game over for _me_.

"LAUNCH THE PORTAL NOW!" I screamed into the com-link.

Like a trigger had been switched, an overwhelming light suddenly exploded in front of us, booming to life as the silver city shined brightly from the overwhelming glow of the ivory portal. There was also a feeling of a gust that swooped over and through the vehicle, the feeling in comparison to what I could only imagine as the great sigh of a giant breathing through the world—a relief that I soon found even myself expelling as soon as the image of the portal's light settled, and the towering beacon caught the attention of the Cy-bugs behind us.

Turbo slowed down Car number 2 then, caught in the awe-inspiring procession as the many Cy-bugs flew past us and into the sky. Even as we came to a full stop, I couldn't help but open the door then, and step outside. My feet came into contact with the highway road and planted themselves there as I merely watched as my enemies began to flow around me and into their demise.

Watching them then, those wretched Cy-bugs become entranced by the light, was so strange. Their destructive procession had become replaced by the low purr of their last utterances in the real world, and their terrifying glows of green and white had soon appeared to remind me of a great movement of fireflies as they grew smaller in the skies, handfuls at a time becoming consumed by the portal and vanishing forever from my view.

More and more came: hundreds—thousands, continuously going on and on through the portal as I finally allowed myself to stumble, catching myself only by clutching the side of the car door before I eased my way to the ground, my back leaning against the vehicle's side.

I could hear the opposite car door open and close, Turbo's quick footsteps rushing around the car, soon arriving directly in front of me. From my sitting position, he was now angled to look taller than me, looking down at me to meet me once again face-to-face.

"Kailey, are you okay?" Turbo asked.

"I mean… as good as a person can be after crashing a Light Cycle and getting attacked by Cy-bugs can get, I guess." I smiled sheepishly for a second before I found I couldn't hold my smile anymore. I closed my eyes for a second as I listened to the Cy-bugs passing me passively, and felt the portal's light behind my eyelids as I stood still. In those moments of utter stillness in which I had not experienced in for what seemed like ages, I was finally beginning to feel the toll that all this had taken on me. My body ached from the crash, and I was starting to become aware of a pounding headache that seemed to intensify as moments went on.

My eyes would open slowly then, but upon the vision that met me I was startled to see Turbo reaching out towards my helmet. I wasn't sure what I expected, but he seemed to gently touch the left side, eyeing it cautiously as he felt it. After a moment of contemplating what he was seeing, his other arm reached towards the other side of my head as if to take the helmet off, but I nudged my head sideways a tad, attempting to divert my discomfort with another joke.

"Hey, what are you doing… you know I'm going to have horrible helmet hair," I said.

Turbo rolled his eyes. "Please, it's not s'thomething I've never dealt with before."

I looked at him for a few moments longer, as if fighting myself of sudden strange feelings that began to stir within me like millions of tiny lights, glowing in my chest like a warm steady breath, then inhaled and exhaled as the lights glowed on and off. To see Turbo standing in front of me, having done what he had just done, would have been unbelievable if I had not experienced it for myself.

I decided to remain still as he removed my helmet, despite my prior protest, and watched as the white and violet headgear that had been on my head for Lord knows how long was removed and sat in Turbo's arms in between the both of us. My eyes would fall immediately to a deep and wide scratch that seemed to cover the entire half of the upper left corner of the helmet, creating a distortion of the violet stripe down its middle that seemed to make it bleed into the white surrounding it.

"That could have been your head," Turbo pointed out rather calmly. "Racing is no bu'th'siness to take lightly."

"Looks like you saved me twice then today," I mused.

Turbo glanced up at me, his expression remaining neutral for the time being.

"I mean, if I would have never had this racing suit and helmet on I would have been dead before we even got started," I elaborated. I watched as his eyes shifted between my own, his mind obviously deep in thought again. "What are you thinking about?" I asked next, rather uncontrollably.

"A few thing'ths," Turbo said. "But you know… you do have helmet hair." A smirk returned to his expression then.

My cheeks suddenly turned hot as embarrassment took over. I don't know why it would matter how I looked, but for some reason my reaction was involuntary.

Turbo obviously saw my dismay, but he had already started talking by then, saying, "But, it's the prettiest helmet hair I've ever seen."

My cheeks, which must've been filled with many shades of reds at that point, continued to linger on my face as I suddenly started laughing. I found I couldn't laugh too hard due to the pain I was in, but it fell out of me anyway. On top of it, my eyes started dripping teardrops, but not tears of sorrow as I had so often been experiencing, but of joy. The sound of the many Cy-bugs flying past us and disappearing into the portal's light only added to the relief I was finally allowed to feel.

* * *

It hadn't taken us long, but Turbo and I would finally venture back to Flynn's Arcade with Car number 2 in tow. Our arrival sparked a sudden series of gasps and cheers, soon erupting into a full blown celebration the moment the doors opened.

I couldn't leave the car just yet, but from just looking at the building and the scene around me, all the Program residents had filled the streets by then, lining each way of the crosswalk up and down. Some of the video game characters were hugging one another, some sending each other a series of high-fives as others waved at me and Turbo. Dannen, Calhoun, Felix, Ralph and Vanellope were there as well, the team suddenly bursting from the front of the building and towards my side of the vehicle within an instant.

"You made it!" Vanellope exclaimed.

"Are you okay?" Dannen asked, his words coming out with more concern for me than celebration for the time.

"I'm fine…" I responded modestly, although I could have easily started to complain about how uncomfortable I was. Instead, I simply said, "I crashed."

"CRASHED!?" Calhoun and Ralph spoke in unison that time. The group merely had to glance down at Felix when they all collectively seemed to decide what to do next.

The series of applauds beyond the car continued when I saw Ralph extend his hands outwards, the group stepping back in preparation to help me. "You don't mind, do you?" Ralph asked, his politeness returning quite instantly. I would instantly think back to the first moment I met him—this supposed 'bad guy' that actually destroyed things having been ironically one of the sweetest people I've come to know.

"I don't mind," I stated rather honestly. I was ready to stop being in pain at that point.

Like he was picking up something fragile, Ralph took hold of me and lifted me out of the car, his large hands again almost acting like shields from all the Program residents' eyes as the team walked with us back into Flynn's Arcade. I watched the as the ceiling passed over me, blotting out the intense light from the portal just over us, when the many cobwebs upon Flynn's ceiling acted as an assurance of my safety.

I listened to the sound my friend's footsteps clank and echo on the tile floors, soon brining me to focus on the moment. Going under the door that was labeled 'Flynn's Office' I listened further as we walked up the short staircase before we arrived into the office room, where here, a small desk and old office computer lay dormant to the side, next to it an old sofa, both covered in plastic coverings much like the arcade games downstairs.

Dannen took hold of the plastic covering that protected the sofa, and pulled it off. "Put her here," he said with both a sense of calm and urgency.

Ralph did as he was told and set me on the old sofa. I could instantly smell old cloth material as my body came into contact with it, like me being there was stirring up old dust that had been there for over a decade. Nonetheless, it still was sturdy and comfortable, and I felt relieved that I could finally lay down.

"Okay, let's see what the damage is," Calhoun said next. "Felix, do what you do."

"Can do, ladylove," Felix responded to his wife, and then jumped to action. I saw him bring out his iconic golden hammer, but unlike our first time meeting him when I had scars on my arms from the dragon attack, I didn't flinch this time. I was actually prepared for my aching arms, legs and head to finally be relieved from the trauma, and for once could actually admit to myself that getting hit with a magical _hammer_ was probably the biggest Godsend I could ask for.

Felix quickly looked me over like a doctor would a patient, then began striking each of my limbs one at a time. With every hit of his hammer, I felt that portion of my body almost shift back into place, the hammer actually compelling my body to heal itself instantaneously. Even as the pain began to lift from me, for once I wasn't going to divulge into deep thinking about the intricacies of this, and instead chose to just go with the flow.

"Kailey, how do you feel?" Dannen asked next. I had not realized that Felix's healing session was over when I decided to turn my head over towards the group.

"Hm? Oh, actually great!" I spoke up then. "Sorry, I didn't even realize it was over with." I'd sit up, stretch my arms out, and roll my neck around as if testing my state of being. When I realized I was no longer in pain, I managed a smile. "You're going to probably be a guest on a lot of emergency room shows, you know that?" I joked to Felix.

"Oh, you're too kind, Ma'm," Felix gushed. "I'm just a handyman."

"You're programming may say you're a handyman, but if you wanted you could be a doctor."

"The best medic I've ever known," Calhoun said then, smiling a proud smile as she looked down adoringly at her husband. This only caused Felix to blush and take off his hat submissively, but he wasn't able to do this for long before Calhoun picked him up again and gave him a big kiss on the cheek, literally melting the meekness that was upon Felix's mannerisms into loving adoration.

My eyes shifted over to my brother then as he walked up to me, kneeling down beside my sitting position on the couch to look me face-to-face. "Steven is downstairs," he said. "We created an automatic deletion sequence to occur as the Cy-bugs filter in. He's just making sure things work the way it should right now, but the portal will luckily stay open long enough for the entire swarm to enter and get deleted."

"What are we going to do next?" I asked. I was thinking ahead, as usual. I was imagining that one swarm wasn't going to be the last of them all, as Cy-bugs probably had multiplied, and most likely had a few staggering individuals still out there.

"Before you think of freaking out, don't," Dannen said. "The general is already heading this way with some of his troops and some of the surviving characters from Litwak's. We are going to give him the blueprints and code sequences to distribute to other scientist. Collectively, humanity can create other beacons to place in different parts of the world, and we can use them to continue filtering out any Cy-bugs that may still be out there. In the meantime, Steven and I are going to work with the military to maintain this one. We've already received word of continued support from the Programs that have been helping us, and they'll work together to track down and corral whatever Cy-bugs will be out there."

I was speechless for a second. I found my eyes had widened as I was listening to my little brother speak. It was strange seeing him talk like this—merely months ago he was a nosy college student, but now he was talking about helping to create a collective system of beacons to help in ridding what Cy-bugs that may be left out there.

"It'll take a while, won't it?" I asked.

"Well yeah…" Dannen shrugged, "but not that long." He winked.

I felt my lips curl into a smile. I was tired of asking so many questions and details, and for once was adamant on placing faith in whatever they had planned. I wouldn't have gotten this far without them, after all.

Diverting my eyes then, I caught a glimpse of Turbo's purple-garbed King Candy persona, standing back and towards the doorway. He was silent as he watched us talk and cheer amongst ourselves. Seeing and being reminded of his presence reminded me of what he had done… not only for the world, but for me. Shifting from my thoughts of myself and our plans again seemed to fade into the background when I looked at him. An odd feeling—the kind I had been feeling more frequently now like glowing lights, seemed to form in my chest and stomach again.

"You saved me," I stated out loud, my eyes locking on Turbo as I spoke to him. Saying this out loud wasn't a way to remind myself of what had happened; I had already seen it happen with my own eyes. No, it was more of an outward statement, proclaiming what he had done for the others to know. They had surely seen him drive up with me when we arrived back at Flynn's, but I wanted to imbed that fact into their minds.

Saying this seemed to catch Turbo off guard. His relatively silent stance stiffened once I spoke, his eyes shifting from me and around at the others, who had already moved their attention onto him, too. I could tell there was slight confusion caught within the group, but overall the statement came as a pure surprise.

"Well what do you know," Calhoun commented, "the selfish man becomes the unselfish. I wouldn't believe it back at Litwak's, but out here I've pretty much seen everything now."

"Hmm, maybe so," Vanellope said. Unlike Calhoun, there was still a bit of distrust in her voice. "Hard to believe, isn't it Ralph?"

"It is," Ralph reinforced, but shifted in his standing position, ever so slightly.

I continued to sit in silence for a few more moments, absorbing the feelings of the group like a sponge before saying, "If you guys don't mind… I'd like to speak to Turbo. Alone."

"There's still work to be done before the military gets here," Calhoun responded to my comment. "We'll be downstairs. You take your time recovering."

"And just yell or something if Turbo tries anything," Vanellope spat, a mix of amusement and caution in her statement, but with her personality her words seemed to come out as one of her joking threats, the jab directly at Turbo.

I smiled half-way. "Yeah, I will," I mused. Listening to everyone gather towards the door, and disappear back down the small staircase to slowly appear out the glass windows below us in the arcade, was when I then felt comfortable to bring my full attention back to Turbo. I wasn't sure what he was going to say, let alone how he was going to act, but I felt like I had to speak my mind.

"You know they just worry…" I spoke softly, having empathy for both Turbo's present feelings of ostracization, and for Vanellope herself, whose feelings of Turbo being here and doing actual good may be coming off as complicated, to say the least.

"I don't care about her," Turbo said, rather bitterly. Hearing his hatred still lingering in his voice like that sent the tingling sensation in my chest to scatter briefly, as if all the glows were dispersing from a potential threat. However, my cautionary feelings immediately subsided when he continued.

"I only care about you," he said.

I felt my eyes widen briefly, the feelings within me returning tenfold. At first I had to struggle to find my words. What thoughts I had in mind about attempting to act as a counselor to the group—specifically a mediator for Turbo and Vanellope, and in extension everyone else— quite literally fell out of my hands like sand slipping between my fingers.

As I sat there in my brief moments of silent contemplation, I was starting to admit to myself the reality of all this: I was never going to completely mend what had happened to Turbo at the arcade, and I was never going to quell the negative feelings that continued to manifest here and now among them. Vanellope's feelings were completely justified, so I had nothing really to add anymore. Instead, another reality was just then placed in front of me. Like an offering at an altar, or the first signs of sunlight after darkness, there was no denying what was absolutely real to me now…

He cared. About _me_.

How had I been missing that for so long? At what point in Turbo's mind did he decide this? Was it the moments and in subtle ways when I had showed him kindness when I was with him in the castle, he as King Candybug? Was it the moment I brought him out of that Cy-bug's coding? Or was it somewhere else after that, in my patience for his anger, his denial?

"Turbo….I…" I stuttered again, trying so hard to keep up with my thoughts that I felt like they could begin pouring out of me if I wasn't careful. I didn't know why, but completely letting go of my poise was so _hard_. Perhaps that was due to the life I had lived up until this point…all the grinding and putting my head down.

_All the doing, and never taking. All the proving to others, and never to myself. All the hiding, and never the reveal._

Picturing myself before all this, I was a lonely, simple intern at a desk, working my life away and keeping my true self locked away in my mind. Comparing what I was then, to what I was now—visualizing myself as if I had taken a step back from my own body, and began to perceive myself through the eyes of a stranger, was surreal. On top of it all, I was standing in the presence of somebody I very much shouldn't be with in the first place.

And yet, here I was. Better yet… here _we_ were. Two beings: one human, one Program, having shifted and changed so vastly that I had not seen it so perfectly until now.

"I care about you, too…" I finally admitted out loud. Finally speaking my feelings into the world came instead as a huge relief. "I have for a long time now. But… you may have already known that."

Turbo's strange smile, that mix of honest joy and confidence—returned to his expression after my admission. Looking at his smirk, I was starting to connect the dots, or at least I thought I was. His desire to be in the spotlight had been withheld from him for so long, but it returned in a way though me. I was starting to wonder if I was stroking his ego more than his heart, but his response proved me otherwise.

"I had wanted it to be th'so," he admitted, "but hearing you say it again… makes it better." He paused. There was a few precious moments of silence: the kind that, yes, I had not had in a long time—the kind that lets you take a deep breath, and let go off all the bad in your life, but also the kind that you coveted to be around someone important to you.

"When I ran away…" Turbo began to speak up, but I felt my mouth moving before I could even register the words I was speaking.

"You don't have to explain yourself," I said.

"No, I do." Turbo brought his hands together, a strange set of hands that only had four digits, but nonetheless seemed to appear to me more real than ever now. The same hands that had done both bad, and now good; hands both that were once clawed and beastly, and now had become seemingly soft and tender now that he held them in front of him with meekness in my presence. "I left because I felt like there was nothing left for me here. Obviously those… _others_ will never forgive me…" He seemed to seethe with anger momentarily, but it came and went like the passing of a breeze.

"I know…" I acknowledged dejectedly.

"But," Turbo said, "that doesn't mean I can't continue striving onward. What was it that you said before? When I asked you how do you pick yourself up after so much has happened?"

"All you can do is continue to try and make the right choices," I reiterated.

"Yes'th. That." He looked off to the side, taking notice of the room in detail as he thought back. "When I th'saw you out there, alone, being attacked by those _wretched_ bugs, I had to do something. I thought of the moment those Cy-bugs did the same to me back…way back before all this. I couldn't let that happen again, especially to _you,_ because if it did…"

"Did what?" I lifted myself upward in my seat a tad, both his memories and confessions further piquing my interest.

"I would have failed myself twice." His admittance brought his eyes to glide back down from his stare at the walls and ceiling of the room, and to look into my eyes. "I had thrown all I had away before, chasing some obsession I had—something I thought I wanted, and _did_ want for so long. See, all I ever wanted was to race. It's who I am. It's in my _code_. When I was that monster, a monster because of _my_ mistakes, that purpose was stripped away from me. But you gave it back."

"Will you stay then?" I asked. A tinge of desperation seemed to escape me, but I held it back as much as I could. Here he was, right in front of me, admitting his wrongs, and proclaiming his feelings, yet I felt like I could so easily loose him. I had to think for a moment between my question and his response, wondering if I should have asked that of him or not. There was still work to be done here to help aid the world in its recovery, and I wanted him with me to see it.

But in the end, I became complacent in the idea that if he so chose, he didn't have to stay.

His response, which came from beyond my flash of thoughts, reached in to melt and shake me from deep inside myself.

"Of cour'th'se I will," he acknowledged. "I never considered otherwise."

I felt myself breathe out another sigh as my eyes stung with growing tears. I couldn't understand how so much bad could turn around like this, but life tends to always have its surprises.

Sitting up from the sofa then, I began to walk over to Turbo in his stance by the door, and then kneeled down to his level. I couldn't help as a smile began to crawl over my face, feeling that my cheek began leaping with a feeling of both relief and happiness as I held the expression.

Through King Candy, the colorful garbed character, I took note of all the detail in Turbo's creative design. His typical grey bushy eyebrows, his smooth bubbly cheeks, even the interesting crown that sat upon his partially bald head, to most would reveal anything but a hero.

But he was there all the same.

I reached out, my arms wrapping themselves around him in a tight embrace like a spring unable to stop itself from pouncing. I felt as he tensed up momentarily, but I continued to hang on, through this embrace he finally letting himself shrink under me as his shoulders fell, and his arms did the same and returned the gesture by putting his arms around me.

"You're _my_ hero," I gushed. "My Racecar Hero."

"Hmm, I like the sound of that one," Turbo mused with a hum in his voice. "Say it again."

I laughed. "My Racecar Hero," I repeated, giggling while I did so.

The quiet tranquility of our embrace was soon met with the sounds of vehicles from the outside. While I listened, I remained in Turbo's embrace, thinking then that it must be the general and his troops having finally arrived at our location. I imagined things were to get back into the swing of things soon, and I'd have to get back to work at doing what I did… saving the world and all.

But for those brief few minutes longer, I grounded myself in the fact that Turbo had come back. All the struggling, all the chaos, all the tears had not been a waste.

Finding meaning in it all meant something to me. It was all I had to hang onto, and what brought us, two completely different beings, to where were now.

Two worlds clashing together.


	22. Everything Changes.(git)

The sound of our footsteps as we ventured down the staircase, and outwards back towards the arcade itself, was like pushing the world back in motion. From the quiet tranquility of the second floor to the arcade consoles below, with the many lone game world sounds clashing with the entry of military personnel, had again become surreal.

It wasn't the casual chat between a real person and a video game character that seemed to cause a sense awe to arise in me, nor was it the visual scene of the portal's alien-like bright light shining outside the arcade's windows that cast its rays to illuminate the outside streets. Standing among it all, like I had just awakened from a deep slumber, this strange feeling that grew in me was originating from how everything had come and gone almost instantaneously.

While my journey had not happened in a short time by any means, looking back from where I was then made me realize how far I had come. How far _we_ had come. To think just a short time ago I was racing towards the city with Cy-bug's at my back, to standing here, _alive,_ was a bewildering emotion to say the least.

"Kailey!"

I heard my name called while I was deep in my trance of absorbing it all—the feelings, the visuals, the sounds. The real world and the game world had been together for a long time now, but only up until now did it feel natural. Only now did it feel like it was meant to be, and the promises and dreams my brother and I had visualized were finally manifesting into truth.

The feeling of Turbo's hand holding onto mine seemed to connect it all.

I looked over to the sound of my name being called, and saw Ralph and Vanellope standing in front of the _Centipede_ and _Pacman_ consoles, there with them, in the flesh, Zangief of _Street Fighter_. It took me a moment to realize that it must've been the Zangief from Litwak's, as I had not noticed one currently here in Flynn's.

Walking over with Turbo, I was silent for the moment before Ralph introduced me.

"Hey, so this is Kailey, you know… the First User!"

"Ah! I figured so. I remember seeing you back at Game Central Station a month or so ago before all this… mess happened." Zangief was attempting to keep the initial situation mild, but his attempts at hiding the seriousness of it all escaped him in the visuals of his expression. "But would you look at it all now! I knew the Users would fix things." Zangief's eyes shifted over to Turbo standing next to me, his eyebrows raising, and eyes widening as he made the shift in attention.

Vanellope and Ralph seemed to have followed Zanfief's eyes, theirs landing on Turbo as well. A sort of awkwardness engulfed the conversation then, although this was broken the second I cleared my throat.

"Um yeah… he's not a bug anymore, I promise." I smiled awkwardly, the kind of weird smile you'd give someone half-assed as you passed them in the hallway.

"I'm sorry, don't mind me," Zangief said, "but it's strange to see the big bad guy that caused all this is suddenly so… tiny?"

Vanellope burst into laughter.

"Th'so th'says the 'thsuppo'th'sed bad guy of his game to constantly get his bum kicked at arm wrestling by Chun-Li and Ryu in Tapper's _every_ _single_ _time_."

Zangief gasped. "How do you know about that?" He'd lightly put a hand on his forehead. "Root beer isn't the best for my focus, you know."

Ralph started to chuckle at this point.

"Hey guys, enough with the low jabs, all right?" I said, my fake smile shifting to a genuine one. "Maybe y'all can work it out sometime."

"Hmm, maybe so. Plenty comrades made it all right from Bad Anon. Maybe we'll reform it here in the world of Users after everything clears up." Zangief looked at Ralph, smiling. "Think of the turnout of that one!"

"Heh, yeah… I guess you're right. Turbo might fit in there… if he wants." Ralph's voice seemed to drift for a second as he must've thought about how Turbo would behave in a Bad Anon meeting. Hearing it in the conversation now, and trying to decipher Ralph's expression through his eyes and mannerisms, I was trying to visualize what exactly a 'Bad Anon' was. Hearing it I'd instantly think it was a negative thing, but if Zangief went to this thing, I suppose it wasn't a _bad_. He seemed like a nice guy, anyway. "But hey, hold up, you said others made it okay?" Ralph asked then, shifting his thoughts to meet Zangief's second statement.

"Yeah… plenty of them, actually. Dr. Robotnik, Bowser, Satan, Sorceress…"

My eyes narrowed in an amusing thought for a second when Zangief mentioned Satan, pronouncing _Sat-een._ I recalled seeing the character before, way back.

"Wait, did you see anybody else out there?" Vanellope asked the fighter, her hazel eyes glowing with a hopeful anticipation.

"Yeah… as a matter of fact I saw some of those kids from your game. _Sugar Rush_ , right?"

"How is this possible?" Ralph said.

"I can try and explain it to you guys later." Footsteps from behind met Ralph's answer as Steven arrived with the general from the opened doorway behind _Tron_. I recognized the general as the same from the Goliath battle, the four stars on his helmet giving his identity away for my memory to make the recollection. "For now, I actually have some words to share with the group, if you want to tag along."

"For sure! I'm ready to see how this is all gonna play out!" Vanellope said excitedly. It seemed the mention of some of her game's residents making it out had made her chipper again.

For a moment I watched as soldiers shifted around outside, soon coaxing in Dannen, along with Calhoun and Felix. Along with them I saw the familiar face of Rachel set itself apart from among them. It was seeing her suddenly here with us that I recalled further into what had happened again during the Goliath battle, the memory of her grandfather's death sending a shock-like feeling to spur into my brain like a thunderbolt, with it triggering an empathetic wave of sadness to wash over me. I watched her disappear further outside then, however, pulling me from my focus on noticing her and back to the group that began to gather around me. For the moment I'd suppress my memories of what had happened with her and steer my attention back to the group.

The general began to speak, saying, "Steven here has handed over the code for replicating what you call the 'Shiva Laser'. My plan is to make many of these devices and plant them all over the states."

"Dannen mentioned something of that nature," I replied. "Cy-bugs can multiply… so I'm sure there could be some still out there. If we're not careful this whole thing could start over again."

"We know that now. I have a fine team of scientists with plenty of assistants to back them up in our new endeavor," the general explained. "After these new Shiva Lasers are built, they will be maintained, catching the eye of any remaining Cy-bug viruses that may remain here in our world. I have already enacted a policy and submitted it to the proper higher ups to get the job done."

"For now though we're going to have to keep up what we can while those are being built, however," Steven added. "We could use the help of any game character with the proper programming to lure and bring remaining Cy-bugs here. I heard you were already talking about noticing other survivors from Litwak's, and I can assure you, the general has confirmed there were plenty of survivors. What we saw on the news through my hologram didn't even show enough to justify how much went into holding back the Cy-bugs due to Program efforts."

"If it wasn't for them I honest to God don't think we would have made it," the general added. "Civilians may have been scared of Programs before with Cy-bugs as their first encounter with digital entities, but things are slowly starting to change. As a matter of fact, right now Programs are at the city of origin where this all began and started humanitarian relief efforts."

"Wow." I couldn't help but let that escape me. I imagined all the game characters from Litwak's helping us… rebuilding, healing. Alone, perhaps humanity would take forever to recover, but imagining help from Programs started to take the burden away, if only a little.

"It's time to move forward and get to work," Steven said then. "Dannen and I have agreed to stay here and help maintain this laser with the general's help. It's up to the rest of you to decide what you want to do next."

"There's a lot to do, that's for sure," Calhoun responded, placing a hand on her chin. "What do you think, Fix-It?"

"I don't know, hon… but if I had to choose I'd say we head back and help with those relief efforts. I could do a lot more there than here."

"I'm going with you then," Calhoun said with a nod. "If I can find some of my men from my game, we can discuss this in detail."

"What do you think, Ralph?" Vanellope chimed in next. "Ya think we can help out here?"

"I'd say so. If they're going to lead more of those bug things back to the portal I'm the wrecker around to help them out." He smiled at his comment, perhaps a bit of pride in himself at the idea of helping.

"That settles it then, I'm sticking around here," Vanellope said. She lightly slapped his arm as a smile began to manifest on her face as well."

"Well then, if you've decided my men can take you two back towards the city to help," the general began to inform Calhoun and Felix. "It's still a mess over there, just so you know."

"Not hard to believe. We were there for a while, after all," Calhoun stated as she thought about it. "Worse I've seen. Not even a bull in a china closet could compare to that mayhem."

The general nodded then upon hearing everyone's self-assigned agreements. At this, he'd finally turn to me, his stoic stare for a moment bringing me to sit up straight. "And how about you, First User?"

Hearing that name again—the First User—made me tense up even more, especially coming from him. A series of flashbacks seemed to encase my mind, again from start to finish of everything that had collectively come together to give me that title. I remembered the people who had both supported me and hated me throughout my time being called that. What would they think of me now?

Would they accept me?

"To be honest I don't know what to do anymore, Sir." I felt a deep pit in my chest that seemed to suck all the energy out of me. It was the feeling of rejection, being hated, being despised. "I don't even know if the people even respect me."

"Who told you that?" the general wondered, bewilderment seemingly escaping his voice.

"I was there… in that place for a long time. People blamed me for a lot of things."

"They also saw what you did," the general said. "Some civilian footage got out, and they know what you've been up to."

My eyes shot up at him, his words taking a moment to register in my head what he was saying. As far as I remembered, I was alone out there when I decided to bring the Cy-bugs in.

"Oi, he isn't lying, if you need proof I got it here," Steven said, instantly brining up his Omni-Tool. He brought up a video online, showing me zoom passed the one filming at a distance, with the wall of Cy-bugs after me. He played another, this one showing me crash, and shoot at the Cy-bug, Dell, that had tried to attack me. There was even one of Turbo driving off with me in Car number 2.

"The world is watching, Kailey, but this is our chance to make things right," Dannen said. "We can get through this."

I didn't part my eyes away from Steven's Omni-Tool. The images of me and Turbo doing what we did planted me in the moment, seemingly creating a sharp contrast of what we were to the people in the beginning.

The shift would surely be one that took time, but here it was: beginning and ever changing before my eyes.

"I'll go wherever I'm needed," I finally responded to the general. "Just say the word."

"I go where she goes," Turbo stated bluntly. "I was a part of this just as much as tho'sth'se Cy-bugs, and I need to make things right."

"Turbo, that wasn't you," I stated.

"It was a part of me," Turbo replied sternly, "and it always will be. I can't deny what I've done any longer, but I can make things right…" he paused for a moment as he looked at me, giving me a grin and a thumbs up as a wink escaped his left eye. "One game at a time."

For a moment I visualized what he actually looked like; this image of him as his true self, the grey racer with the red and white racing suit, with his glowing eyes and teeth and all, winking and smiling at me, caused me to have to blink a few times to pull myself back to reality. As I came to, King Candy took his place again, though I knew better now.

"I'm glad, Turbo," I said with a relieved sigh.

* * *

Rachel stood across the street from Flynn's, hidden behind the large military vehicles and partially detached from the sounds of all the commotion at the building. Standing there like a statue, stern and seemingly cold, it would be hard to miss how her dark brown eyes glistened against the bright light of the ivory portal. She was like a still picture among a moving world. I could only imagine what she must be feeling, and imagined I certainly did.

I felt the painful memories of her granddad carry upon my back like a weight the closer I drew near her, having left the group after our discussion to go find her, knowing she was here. I felt the anger she must had felt, and currently still felt—the anger of losing someone so close to you. While Aaron had not been my grandfather, he still had broken me out of one of my hardest moments, and remembering his death was like seeing the drifting memory of an old friend.

"Rachel," I spoke up softly. I had arrived right in front of her, looking at her face and glistening dark eyes like facing a powerful wall prepared to crumble.

"Hey, First User," she said softly, her voice harsh, but with a raspiness I could only describe as a means to keep herself steady.

"It's been… quite a day, hasn't it?"

"Yeah, it has."

I paused for a long time, it seemed. I didn't know what to say to her let alone how or when to say anything. We had gone through so much, at one point you could say even having been enemies. But now, with everything that happened, seeing her point of view explained to me many times before, I faced her now seeing her as an equal.

"I'm quitting the force," she said suddenly, shattering the silence that had lingered between us.

"But why?" I asked. I found my eyes had grown wide from her sudden declaration. It sounded so certain, as if she had been thinking about it for a long time.

"It's complicated…" she huffed, rolling her shoulders around uncomfortably before she stationed herself straight up again to continue with her prior solid stance. "The world is too broken. You can't trust anybody anymore, not even the people who say they'll protect you."

"You can trust me, if that means anything," I replied.

Rachel chuckled, shaking her head in an almost disbelieving manner, said, "You're out of this world, you know that?"

"What do you mean?"

"Let's say the world can use more people like you. Like those nerds you hang out with… like those Programs over there."

I turned my head around momentarily to take a look again at the scene just behind us. From underneath the portal, the lights above cast down onto the building, highlighting the many characters and humans walking about, talking, planning, hoping.

"There are more people like that though," I replied as I turned back around to face Rachel. "Maybe they just haven't realized it for themselves yet."

"Maybe." Rachel shrugged. "So what's next for you, First User?"

"I guess I'm going where I'm needed," I said. "There's a lot to pick up now."

"You said it, Sherlock." Rachel chuckled again. "Sometimes I wonder how it can all be put back together again."

Her words instantly reminded me of something Turbo had said to me. Looking at her, and remembering what we had gone through, I felt as if I was looking into a mirror that reflected even myself. All of humanity seemed to remind me of our brokenness through her at that moment. But with her subtle smile despite her ever so mild, tear filled eyes, I also saw what _could_ be.

"Your granddad would be proud of you," I said. "He'd be proud of everything."

Her smile grew more intense as the wrinkles on her forehead seemed to intensify through her shifting emotions. A soft sigh escaped her then through her nose, her gaze slipping around the scene behind me before she returned her attention to me. "I think he'd be proud of me too," Rachel acknowledged. "And he would damned be proud of you, too."

Laughing lightly myself then, I remembered Aaron's little quirks: the old man's abrasiveness and outburst, even his betrayals, but also his perseverance, and his hope in me that he would find at the end. Yes, his words, joining me in my lowest moment, was exactly what I had needed to go on. The man who hated video games ironically helped create a world with them in it—Programs and all.

"Whenever things calm down, I want to give him the proper goodbye that he deserved," Rachel said. "I'm just sorry that we can't do it now."

"There will be time." I lifted my hand upward as if to console her, but I stopped myself, hesitating as if trying to avoid making her crumble. She kept up her sharpness and stability so well in her stance, and even in the utterances of our conversation, but I still felt I had to be careful. "I'll be there when you do it."

Rachel's eyes began to pool with tears as she began to squint in an attempt to contain herself. Even as her mouth formed into a grimace, and she began to cry, I stood back for a moment to allow her to finally crumble.

Seeing her break again was like an echo. All the sadness she unleashed reminded him of what had happened, but with it I felt a sense of urgency to _do_ ; to try and act and make things better. I finally reached my hand out and attempted to touch her shoulder, the act of her sinking at my gesture of kindness giving me the proof I needed that she needed a friend now more than ever.

"The world is too hard to bear alone," I said. "Don't forget that I'm here for you. _We all are_. Whenever you're ready for him, I'll be there."


	23. Bright and Beautiful.(tiff)

Through the early evening hush, the trees shifted, and their leaves chattered around us. A soft, warm summer breeze swept from the forests and across the fields, drifting and swaying the tall green grasses in front of old man Aaron's house.

The crumbled home, a shell of its former self, was met with the remaining bright drifting sunlight. The shards of glass from long since broken windows glistened, partially buried under the ground like diamonds, and the old white painted wood grew shadows among the cracks and sharp edges as the sunlight touched what remained. There was a soft smell of pine in the air as the moments of breezes passed us, bringing the sounds and smells of the woods with it as songs of birds met that of our stillness.

It had felt like an eternity since I heard the sound of birds. Something so simple had become important to me as I found life in the real world returning.

Looking at Rachel standing in front of the house, we stood behind her as her red dress moved along with the grasses beneath. Her short buzzed hair had grown out by now, reaching her jawline as her dark curls absorbed and became illuminated by the morning dawn, much like the house that remained.

In her arms she held a small, simple cardboard box. There was nothing special about it: it wasn't an antique vase, or a hand-carved work of art. There was no real means to dress death with beauty and vanity, especially during the times we had faced. Luxuries like that weren't easy to come by anymore. Even after a year had gone by, the world was still building—re-growing. "To spend what we had on something temporary," Rachel had said, "would defeat the purpose of what my granddad would have wanted."

The world seemed to breathe as another soft breeze swept by.

"I'm ready now," Rachel said. We continued to be silent behind her as we watched her open the small cardboard box, waiting for the breeze to return once again in its exhale before she allowed Aaron's remains to be picked up, and taken into the field in front of her.

From behind me, I watched as military personnel and what remained of Calhoun's soldiers form two lines, walking beside and before Rachel as they created a salute and focal point to the home. With the humans and their riffles, and the _Hero's Duty_ Programs with theirs, they shot off a round into the sky, causing the explosive echo to blast around us, but then dissipate again into the world.

To honor Aaron was the very least we could do, but to keep him in our memory would be more.

_So many people… so many lives shaken_ , I thought. I was met though with the new world in front of me, the awakening world… the world with potential.

It continued to change with every passing day.

* * *

"It is with my greatest pleasure, and my greatest honor, that I bestow upon you the newly appointed Medal of Daring."

A series of cheers escaped the crowd in front of the stage to meet me in the middle. Standing next to me was Dannen and Steven, and to our right were Calhoun, Ralph, Felix and Vanellope. In our waiting upon the stage, we watched as the general removed the golden medal from a box, its immediate removal from the red velvet internal casing caching the eyes of everyone in the room.

It was the first of its kind: the medal depicted what looked like a star placed among a detailed frame that reminded me of something like the pattern of a silver-metaled snowflake. Along its borders was a knot-like depiction of rope, swirling and twirling around each other, one silver, one gold as well, perhaps to signify two worlds wrapping together. A red ribbon held it in place to be worn.

I was the first the general approached, the motion of the medal being placed around my neck stirring my heart in a quake as I moved through the moment, bowing my head to allow it to slip over around my neck, feeling as the cold metal it was made of hit my chest.

I watched as the general gave one to Steven and Dannen next, the two smiling humbly as the same medal was placed around them as well, signifying to the crowd in front of us of what we had done.

"You are proof of the capabilities of what mankind can do," the general began to announce. "The potential of mankind—of Users, is incomprehensible. Like explorers and warriors before us, let us be daring in the face of uncertainty. Let us all be compelled by your example to continue reaching out to new things, fighting the good fight, and taking the next big leap."

The crowd applauded again, much louder this time. I found my eyes scanning the faces among them, some recognizable, some not. I saw both civilians and military, and Programs of all kinds, both from Flynn's Arcade and Litwak's, and others from different consoles, computers, and devices that had been freed from the confines of their digital world to arrive into our own. Rachel stood out to me in the front, her soft mellow smile refreshing now that she had found peace with the burial of her granddad.

Indeed, the sea of faces completely countered the sea of Cy-bugs I had left behind, nearly over a year ago now.

"I will now bestow a new honor upon our Program heroes," the general added. He had gone back towards a trio of soldiers holding all the boxes containing the medals, and this time pulled out four more. However, the medals in these boxes were slightly different in appearance. Exactly like the Medal of Daring Dannen, Steven and I had just received; this one was colored the opposite. The backdrop of the snowflake-like pattern was gold, and the star was silver. The ribbon that held it all together was blue.

"To say that these Programs are merely heroes would be an understatement," the general began, this time in honor of our Program friends. "You carried our own through the thick of it all, and helped us reach a reality we could only dream of. Like our world, yours is but a reflection of our own, similar but unique in every way." The general began to approach the others, and place their medals on the four of them, saluting after he did so. Calhoun was compelled to meet him in his salute out of habit from her programming, while Ralph, Felix, and Vanellope followed suit out of her example. "We still have a long way to go, but it is my privilege that I honor you for what you have done." The conclusion of the general's last statement sent the crowd up roaring again, my friends standing on the stage with me allowing themselves to smile and pester at one another then as the ceremony came to an end. It was cute seeing Vanellope and Ralph give each other a friendly fist-pump, and watch as Calhoun kneeled down beside her husband to take him into another romantic embrace. Looking over to my left, I even saw Steven reach inside his shirt pocket to take out a handkerchief and begin to gently wipe his eyes down from under his glasses, when Dannen turned my direction to give me a thumbs up.

A smile overcame my expression as I absorbed it all, and a stir of lightness that I could only describe as wonder for my future overtaking what doubt I had once held onto.

I was absorbing it all in when my eyes finally found Turbo among the audience, his small form hidden in the back next to the doorway exit. Finding emotions stirring again, being replaced by those feelings of warm lights in my moment on the stage, I felt compelled to meet him there.

He must've seen me notice him, because he stayed where he was as I walked down the steps of my pedestal and through the crowd, finally up to him in the back. Even behind the crowd and celebrations, it was still fairly lively, although much quieter now to give me room to hear and talk to him.

"Hi, Turbo," I said, easily managing a soft smile. My eyes lowered to the floor almost bashfully for a second before I brought them back up so I could look at him, kneeling down in unison as I leveled myself.

"Hello Kailey," he replied softly. "You look good."

"Oh? Me?" I looked down at what I was wearing: the dark purple dress was hands down the nicest thing I felt like I had put on in years. Even during the passing year, I felt all I could do was put on what I had and get to work on helping people. There had been no time to tend to my personal appearance. I finally imagined how he had seen me for so long in that racing suit, and with my hair a tangled mess. Even after all that, I still sometimes forgot to feel what it felt like to be me before it all—to have a sense of normalcy in my appearance. "Thank you," I acknowledged. I tried to gather my words then as I tried to think of what else to say to him. "How are you feeling?"

"Good," he said at first with his continuation of softness, but it quickly changed as that smirk returned to his face. "Always good now, it feels like."

"Turbo I want to… do something for you," I started then. For some reason I felt my hand reach up to the medal on my chest, as if I was prepared to take it off, but he quickly must've read my intentions, because instead of his hand reaching for the medal, it met mine on top of it, the other hand following suit to grab my other hand as he looked at me.

"There's'th no need," he said. "Believe me; I've had my chance at winning medal'th's."

"But Turbo, you've done so much," I said.

"Not really," he said. "You did all the work."

"Why do you say that?"

He laughed to himself, shaking his head almost in disbelief, but it was very gentle in how he did so. "You're too much, you know that?"

I felt myself blushing then. "You know why I do it, right?" I began to admit. "I want you to be reminded that you're not alone anymore. There's nothing else you need to prove to me, or anyone else."

"A medal is'th'n't going to do that," Turbo said. "Every time I look at you… I already know."

I felt both my face and the lights in my stomach get warmer as a weightless feeling overcame my senses. It had seemed so long since the first portal opened, to begin the deletion of the Cy-bugs, and even longer when I had first met him. He had never been too far away since then, but I felt like just now I was allowing myself to step away from the constant working, and rebuilding of the real world, and simply to the work in progress with him. I found I begun to treasure those moments with just the two of us.

"So I heard that new Bad Anon meeting Zangief talked about a while back is finally happening," I said then, rubbing the back of his hand with my thumb. "Are you going to go?"

"Oh that." He rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, I'm going."

"You'll need to tell me what happens."

"I will," Turbo said with a wink. "Better yet… maybe I can tell you on a drive."

"I could use a break," I said, shrugging. "Maybe we can get away for a while and drive by those new portals going up. A road trip… if you're up for it."

"Yeah… I definitely could do that," Turbo said, almost in a teasing way. One eyebrow rose as he thought to himself for a moment before he continued. "Hoo-hoo! Bet'cha I can make the trip across state in less than 24 hours."

"I wouldn't doubt you, Speed Racer," I joked. "Just… please don't do any weird twists and turns again, okay? I don't think my poor stomach can handle it."

"Hmm… I can _probably_ manage that."

I glared in a joking manner at him, but the more I tried to hide that it was a joke and make it _seem_ serious, the more I found that I couldn't hold the gesture anymore, and started laughing again like I hadn't laughed before. I found it ironic that I was telling _the greatest racer ever_ to slow down for me. Oh the irony.

"I love it when you make me laugh," I said after I had managed to calm down a tad.

"I love it when laugh," Turbo responded quite slyly, a mixture of sincerity and his obvious flirty personality falling through. "You know what I'd like better though?"

"What?" I asked.

"If you'd give me a kiss." Turbo smirked again after his statement, then said, "A kiss for your Racecar Hero."

I felt my cheeks flush again, this time giggling to myself like I was in high school again. In an attempt to be reflective of his teasing, but seemed to fail, I said, "Oh really? Is that what you want?"

He didn't respond verbally that time, but maneuvered my hands in way that removed the one away from the medal on my chest, and seemingly forced my body to fall forward and to where my back would face the ground, scooping me up before I hit the floor to take me into a romantic embrace. He looked at me for a moment, retaining his overly confident expression before he landed a big one on my lips. I found myself chuckling through the kiss for a bit longer as I thought he must've taken a few notes from Fix-It Felix to do this, and then proceeded to give in, and live through the moment as it was.

Even behind the crowd, in our not-so-quiet corner of the auditorium, it was easy to laugh without fear of being seen expressing myself so openly, and kissing Turbo, who was slowly but consistently showing his true colors to me, and all he was made to do, as racer, as a friend, and maybe now among these things as something different. Picturing the two of us there in the present: if I were to describe this moment to myself as I sat in that office chair, and before that life changing phone call, I wouldn't have believed it.

Was it always meant to be this way? Or do we forage our own paths? Whether it was destiny or our own choices, I felt I could finally say I was excited for what was to come.

An ending of an era, but an awakening of a new one.

A world capable of change, and healing. 

New friends, new dreams, new discoveries. The possibilities were all there, waiting.

The real world never looked so bright.

**THE END**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After 7 years, this fic has finally been completed! Thank you all for reading!!


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